Persona 3: Whispers in the Dark
by A Dog in Fox Clothing
Summary: Minato has had the ability to talk to Shadows for more than half his life. A Persona user and a wielder of Shadows, how can SEES trust their leader? Will he care? Will he turn to apathy? To love? To sweet agony? Is it help he seeks? When no-one else could, I heard his whispers. I shall answer. (Note: Under revision. Earlier chapters may differ from new chapters. Read at own risk.)
1. Withdrawn Voices

**Current Edit: 04/02/16**

**Chapters 21 or so were worked on with Nightly7, with Raidou The 16th as beta for the original chapter.**

**Warning: Themes relating to self-harm and mental illness are present in later chapters. Read at your own discretion.**

* * *

Every day, he hoped that his music would be able to drown the rest of the world away.

The occasional clatter from the train was faint in his ears as Lotus Juice and Yumi Kawamura spat rhymes and repeated 'burn my dread' like a mantra. It was a saying to discard your fear.

Minato couldn't and wouldn't attempt to sing along even if he wanted to, however catchy the lyrics were. He wouldn't be able to hear himself over the guitars. They served to fuel his love for rap, rock and metal. That and… rather unfortunately, he couldn't speak much in an articulate sense.

Leaning comfortably against the wall of the train, he listened out for the announcements. The PA repeated, "The next stop is Iwatodai." A decade ago, it was his home. With a small sigh, his overcast eyes scanned the nearly empty train.

Now, he was heading back because of the scholarship he'd managed to receive for the most prestigious high school in the area: Gekkoukan High School. Out of anxiousness, perhaps, he began and immediately regretted chewing on his lip, which was habitually chapped and raw.

There was another man on the carriage, slumped in his seat. He struggled to stay awake and his breaths carried weight. What kind? Minato could try and figure it out.

Although his memory was foggy, he knew a few things for sure. First: his parents were dead. Iwatodai, while his home from long ago, was where they and his sanity had come to die. His aunt had urged him to return to Iwatodai and complete his schooling there, despite her knowing what associations he had with it.

He shook his head. Second: From that day, ten years ago, he'd experienced a variety of things. Things of oddity and terror. What he'd decided to pass the time with while on the last stretch of the journey was one of those things.

Perhaps out of boredom and perhaps out of concern, he concentrated and spoke aloud, his gunmetal eyes glinting with a dash of cyan light. Minato heard, although the man certainly wasn't talking to anybody, or himself, "I really suck at my job… I'm worthless… I should stop… maybe if I disappeared, no-one would notice…"

Sometimes, he thought that the white collar class in Japan was being driven too hard. Women desired less and less to start families, men's relationships with women were strained and often resulted in divorce or were simply unhappy marriages. Well hey. There was a reason why the birth rates in Japan were declining.

Sobering thoughts pervaded Minato's mind and he stifled a half-hearted chuckle as he formulated a response to the voice, playing muted and on repeat in the background. It was a wonder that he could hear it over 'Mass Destruction' now blasting in his ears.

"Everyone can tell that your week has sucked. Did you know that?" Instead of Minato's usual voice, an almost frantic mutter or mumble characterised by breathy tones rushed from his mouth.

"I could guess," the dark voice replied.

Minato almost laughed. "Yup, keep getting the bad ends from work, work late to make up for it, use it as an excuse to avoid your probably unloving wife and be absolutely terrified of returning home, dreading every moment that you get closer on this train?" he presumed, predicting his answer.

There was a pause. "Yeah." The voice sighed wistfully.

Shoving his hands in his pockets as the familiar arpeggio of notes came from the PA, making a final announcement as they pulled into the station. "Well, sorry I can't talk much more but uh… yeah. I can't tell you what you can and can't do but if you're thinking of throwing yourself off a train platform soon… or doing something else like that…

"Personally, I think you'll regret ever making that choice more than if you found even something little to keep yourself going. Like a friend or a hobby?" Minato resisted shrugging, although that was exactly what he wanted to do.

The voice fell silent for a moment. "Are you speaking from experience?"

Knitting his eyebrows in thought, Minato replied, "Maybe. Like I said, up to you. I can't and won't stop you." There was a small whirr accompanied by a long, synthesised note as the train doors opened. "See ya."

The presence that he'd spoken to and its voice faded as Minato sighed and approached the gates leading out from the station. He removed a pamphlet as he observed the clock overhead, which read '11:58'.

Considering how dark it was, Minato knew he should be hurrying to his designated dormitory. It was supposed to be a placeholder before he could be moved to the boys' dorm.

The first of many strange things that he'd been able to do was talk to a person's inner subconscious and hear their words if they were in thought. Going by Jungian terminology, Minato called them 'Shadows': an unconscious aspect of the personality which the conscious ego does not identify in itself.

Something like that. Wikipedia wasn't always reliable.

Anyways, he figured that if a psychologist had an ability like he had, they'd probably make a fortune or become traumatised by what the hell they had to deal with. He'd never heard or seen anyone with what he called 'Shadow Whispers' before.

If nothing else but the ability to talk to Shadows, it was _great_ for cursing when he didn't want people to know he was.

Accompanied by this strange ability was—as he passed the gate, his watch read 12:00—the ethereal world that coated the norm.

He wasn't sure how long it lasted, but what he saw was all too striking.

Darkness hung over the streets, with ominous illumination from the monstrous moon above lighting puddles of blood spread over the road and coffins standing upright where he thought people were. Stained with murky green tints, in a rather morbid sense, the colours reminded him of Christmas.

A really dank Christmas, where coffins replacing humans served as decoration and strange creatures lurked. They didn't give out presents.

Still, he continued walking. Minato sometimes looked at his flyer and at the surrounding streets, confirming that he was going in the right direction.

On occasion, he saw odd, amorphous and black creatures roaming around. Last time that he'd encountered one of them, it turned into a sad impression of Hulk Hogan and almost pummelled him ten ways to Sunday.

And no-one liked wrestling after that night.

In all seriousness, he found himself cursing on impulse and he'd noticed that the weird creature was laughing whenever he did so.

By an informed guess, Minato thought that maybe those creatures were Shadows too, but uh… outside the human body? It was weird. He didn't question it and hadn't confirmed it as such, but it was plausible.

As plausible as strange creatures lurking in some alternate time or dimension and talking to said creatures could be, anyways.

He didn't exactly hate the time of Shadows because they were attacking him sometimes (although that was definitely an issue) in a brutal lesson of improvised weapons and defending one's self. Minato hated it because it cut out his mp3 and electronics' power while he was in it. He could deal with Shadows now, however loosely. But turning off his music?!

That was just a crime.

After about what he thought was twenty minutes or so, he arrived. The rust bricked building standing three storeys above him matched the picture on his brochure—what he could make out from it anyways. The address matched and all.

With that in mind, he entered, surprised to find that it wasn't locked. Convenient for him, he supposed.

An eerie pall of silence reigned in the lobby. He made out a counter nearby to his left, couch and table to the right, some partitions further ahead…

Wait, why was the light near the counter working? His interest was definitely piqued.

There, he saw a boy, perhaps ten years old, garbed in black and white striped pyjamas. His pale skin and cyan blue eyes which seemed to glow in the dim lighting definitely stood out. "You're late," the kid pointed out. Minato approached, now making out his short, dark hair and the beauty mark under his left eye.

Raising an eyebrow, Minato's train of thought was running at one-hundred miles an hour. Who was this kid? Why wasn't he in a coffin? Why were the lights working here?

How the hell did he teleport, _sitting_ on the counter when he was standing before?

"But I know why. It's because the trains were delayed, right?" the child said before Minato could even comment on his statement. But yes, he was right. Someone, perhaps in a daze, had thrown themselves off the platform straight into the speeding train. It was pasted all over the news on TVs and online. Needless to say, it had taken a while to calm the situation and investigate the scene. "Anyways… I need you to sign this contract here."

Gesturing to a folder, sitting neatly on the table next to the docked pen, it opened without any hand contact and flipped open to the lone page within. Alarm bells were definitely going off in Minato's mind. Sometimes he really thought he was crazy.

But he'd never seen telekinesis the likes of what he was witnessing just then.

…Why the hell did he feel calm, then?

"Don't worry. All it says is that you will take full responsibility for your actions. You know. The usual stuff." 'Usual stuff', his foot. Minato had little idea of what that meant. Still, he felt compelled to do as the boy had said.

It read—annoyingly enough, in English—'I chooseth this fate of mine own free will.' Not to mention the whole 'ye olde England' thing it was going for. Through all common sense, he picked up the pen and signed his name in kanji, 'Minato Arisato', on the line below the rather short sentence.

When Minato had finished, the boy smiled, picking up the contract, reading it over, before hugging it against his chest. "No-one can escape time," he stated, making Minato raise an eyebrow. "It delivers us all to the same end." He lifted his hand, the contract disappearing into thin air. "You cannot cover your eyes or plug your ears."

Again, he teleported (if Minato could learn how to do that from the kid if he somehow saw him again, he was definitely going to ask) behind him, where the meagre counter light died against the overwhelming dark.

The shadows wrapped around the boy, taking him in, melting into the umbra. "And so it begins…" With those mysterious words, he disappeared.

Taking a moment to register what spectacle he'd just witnessed, Minato noticed that the lights were cut off as well, leaving the lobby in black and green. He could barely see, once again.

Shaking his head, Minato took a few steps towards what he thought was a staircase when he heard from above him, front and centre, "Who's there?!"

He thought it was a girl's voice and oddly enough, he couldn't feel the presence of a Shadow from this person. Minato could, however, see that there was something silver near her leg and its glint stood out in the darkness. As she was about to grab for it, another voice came, "Takeba, wait!"

Turning back to face the voice, her and Minato's eyes were drawn towards the new, commanding presence in the room.

It was then that the murk disappeared, revealing the two females up the first flight of stairs as the lights flickered on. 'Mass Destruction' came back in full force. Awesome. Music withdrawals wouldn't do for him.

The first girl was a brunette with milky, brown eyes. If Minato didn't know any better, he would've said that she was probably decently popular at the school. She wore a pink blazer over her shirt, grey skirt, knee-high socks and loafers.

The girl—actually, lady or woman behind her—looked more like a senior in age, and similarly to her junior, was wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt, skirt and knee-high boots. Her complexion was that of snow, her hair like wine and her eyes of similar colour.

"I didn't think you'd arrive so late," the senior began. Minato supposed it was supposed to be an ice-breaker. "My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students at this dorm, and this…" she gestured to the girl in front of her. "This is Yukari Takeba. She'll be a junior this spring, just like you."

Her voice was still shaky. Yukari gave Minato a half-hearted, "Uh, hey."

Briefly wondering why she seemed so nervous, he introduced, "Yeah. Minato Arisato."

Yukari could barely make out what he said, but she'd read his profile before then. Rather thankfully, she didn't have to strain to hear him, however guilty she felt. "Anyways, your journey must've been tiring. Takeba will show you to your room," Mitsuru said, leaving the scene.

"Oh, right. Um, follow me." Minato stifled a heavy sigh as they walked to the boys' section of the dorm. They stopped at the end of the hallway of that floor. "This is your room," she said. "Our curfew's at eleven, so make sure you come back then and sign your name off at the roster on the counter," Yukari warned. "Make sure you don't lose your keys, otherwise you'll never hear the end of it."

"…right. Thanks. Is that from experience?" He asked slowly, not out of fatigue or because he didn't have the words. It was mostly because if he spoke any faster, he'd probably make a mistake.

She rubbed the back of her head. "Sorta…" Yukari admitted. It turned out that she didn't lose the key to her room and even though it turned out that she'd just misplaced it somewhere in the dorm, Mitsuru was not amused. "Um… Actually, on the way here, did you see anything strange?"

Minato raised an eyebrow. He _could_ say something vaguely witty in response, but he felt like he wanted sleep more than he wanted to explain. Eventually, he shook his head.

Studying his expression, she came up with nothing. His blank face gave no emotion away. "Ah, I see. That's good." Yukari sighed in relief. "Anyways, I know you might have more questions but let's save them for later, okay?"

Spinning his keychain, Minato nodded.

Yukari seemed satisfied with that. "Okay. Well, I'll see you in the morning."

As she left for her room, Minato turned to his, put his belongings down and changed, ready for the Sandman.


	2. Insufferable Rest

His morning offerings consisted of: a timely wakeup call; heaven scraping monoliths of concrete, glass and light; streets paved with sunlight; man-made islands, the stuff of budding science fiction; and train rides, gliding, _flying_ over glistening water straight from the reel of a Miyazaki film.

He wasn't interested at all.

"Hey, were you even listening?" Yukari. Turning his gaze towards her, he'd only just registered that he hadn't given her a response.

Minato almost hesitated. Then nodded. He couldn't really take his disinterest out on her, could he? From what he'd seen so far, it was almost like nothing changed. He also had more pressing concerns than trying to entertain a conversation with a girl he wasn't sure he was going to get along with, and watching scenery he knew about seventy per cent of.

Yukari sighed. "What did I say last?"

"It feels like you're gliding over the water," he murmured. Despite the awkwardness and irritation he was almost sure Yukari felt towards him, Minato didn't find it in him to apologise.

Well, he was right at least. She beckoned him out the doors of the monorail after it had sailed to a stop. Workers and students alighted, moving at first as a singular mass before separating, like a collective, underwater organism.

"Uh, are you okay?" She'd noticed he spaced out.

He nodded again. Silence for a moment. Minato had made things awkward, once again. "We should move…"

Yukari sized up his response before agreeing, however begrudgingly. She barely mentioned the mall, docks and ferries around Port Island as they passed.

Another mystery on his list: why did they make Port Island? The mainland was already bustling and attracted droves of people already. He supposed that maybe it was meant for tourism, but it was made by the Kirijo group. Doubt seeped into his thoughts.

Whispers of students' Shadows thickened the air with complaints about school, about not going home, not being able to masturbate, life just sucking in general and how much of a slut Eriko was, because apparently she stole someone's boyfriend or whatever. Same old, same old. Shadows from bullied students were common, but nonetheless volatile and frightening.

He briefly wondered about his own Shadow. Maybe it was just putting himself onto a pedestal, but he felt like his was a bit different from the others. Minato wasn't able to talk to his own, but sometimes he heard, _felt_, while he whispered, the roar of some chained beast.

After Yukari finished her short tour around the school, he headed to the faculty office, ready for the pity party. Every time that he'd transferred, it was a similar reaction and sure, he'd gotten used to it, but with a twinge of wrath under his apathy.

"Ten years ago, your parents…" The teacher gasped.

Despite how much he wanted to stare the teacher into oblivion, Minato ended up sighing quietly and shrugging, as if telling her not to harp on it. She didn't seem like a bad person. Just someone who was either lacking in tact or didn't have the time to read.

He didn't remember much about the incident that killed his parents. They were blurs of erased marks locked deep in recesses of memory. However, if he _did_ finally find out what had caused his life to go veering off a cliff, he'd do more than just mutilate it.

"I'm sorry. I haven't had time to read this beforehand…" She shook her head. "My name is Isako Toriumi. Your class is 2-F. That's my class." He just gave a nod in response, urging her next explanation, if she had one. "The morning address should be starting soon, so I'll lead you to the auditorium."

Walking, he only focused on ignoring everything around him. His music swallowed reality as time passed. Minato struggled to ignore the drawl and the whispers of Shadows crowding his mind. It almost gave him a headache.

"Hey, can I ask you a question?"

He slowly turned his head towards the annoyance behind him, giving him a raised eyebrow and a narrow glare. Minato didn't understand why they continued talking when all body language pointed towards 'fuck off'. "You came to school with Yukari-san this morning, didn't you? Do you know if she has a boyfriend?"

Static razed his mind. "No. Find out from her." They opened their mouth to continue. Irritation in his gaze intensified, sparks of blue faintly emitting from it. "Good luck stealing her panties."

Whispers over whispers rose as the guy was shut down. "I hear some students talking. They're from Toriumi's class!" he heard a teacher drone.

"Shh. You'll get me into trouble," she hissed.

With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, he sunk into the chair, hoping his music would smother the howls of student gossip. The voices almost overpowered the metal in his ears as they were directed to their homerooms.

"We have a new student joining our class today," Toriumi-sensei began, quieting the students.

Minato lazily wrote his name and scanned the room as Toriumi-sensei addressed the students. Just his luck that Yukari was in his class. "I'm Minato Arisato. Nice to meet you," he introduced through gritted teeth.

The lesson went on with housekeeping, Minato laying his chin on folded arms on his desk. He fell asleep for the latter part of the lesson. Invigorating school life, right? The day passed quickly, managing not to get caught napping.

School ended with him half-asleep. "Yo, you awake dude?" He looked up at the voice, finding a tall, lanky capped kid with an attempted goatee. His face was smeared with a beaming grin. Did he get tired, smiling like that all the time?

"Who are you?"

He flinched at his bluntness. "Well, my name's Junpei Iori! But you can just call me Junpei. I transferred here when I was in the eighth grade. Thought I'd be nice and see how you're doing."

He paused, then shrugged. "Thanks for asking…?" Minato hid his confusion under a scowl.

"No problem!" Junpei seemed far happier than he should have for just having received a questionable show of gratitude. "People have been talking about you all day! Yukari-chan's one of the most popular girls in a school. You the man!"

Minato blinked slowly. With a deep breath, he articulated a single, solitary, "No."

"At it again, huh?" Yukari's voice. "Don't you think that you might be bothering someone?"

With a show of mock hurt, Junpei exclaimed, "Whoa there, dragon lady! I was just being friendly!"

She chuckled before turning towards Minato. "I'm just kidding. So, how was your first day?"

He made a so-so gesture. "Tiring," Minato stated.

"You should probably get to sleep early today then, huh?" she suggested. She leaned in closer to him, prompting a raised eyebrow not only from Minato, but from Junpei. "Hey, you haven't told anyone, have you?"

To be honest, he'd forgotten what she was talking about. Which meant… a no? He shook his head.

"Oh good. But seriously, don't tell anyone about last night," she continued.

He cringed. How many people heard that and made her warning backfire? Speaking up decisively sounded like a better idea now.

"I'm not the one drawing attention to it right now," Minato pointed out, gesturing towards Junpei and the few people close enough to hear.

Yukari was stunned. Junpei seemed to have caught the tail end of what she was saying and questioned, "Last night?"

Last night? Hm. Oh yeah. He just _then_ recalled that she pointed a gun at him. "Nothing happened."

"See?" Well, _she_ seemed relieved.

Minato shrugged. "I mean, I'm pretty sure you don't like me that much so…"

"Where'd you get that idea?" She blinked.

He kept a blank face. "You weren't staring at me romantically while we were on the monorail and I was listening to you…" It was more like a glare, actually. She wasn't even sure if he was dispelling or encouraging the already raging rumours. "Glaring at me, in fact."

He shrugged once again, humming in affirmation. Awkwardness seeped into the conversation. "It's okay. I'm not sure if I should make friends with you either."

Junpei's eyes widened. "Wow, really? Not interested in Yuka-tan, huh?" He nodded sagely.

More or less speechless. Yukari wasn't sure whether to be insulted that he wasn't sure that he wanted to be friends with her, whether to be relieved because she had a hard time dealing with Minato, or to be amazed because he wasn't romantically interested in her. Oh. Of course! "Uh… Okay? We _won't_ be friends then…" She shook her head. "But why?"

He opened his mouth to answer. Rather pathetically, he searched for a way to express his feelings on the matter, swallowing nervously globs of saliva mixed with the taste of iron. Minato eventually shrugged. No, wait! "I'd rather not say." The sympathy card, play some sad, puppy dog eyes, pursed lips.

Perfect.

Yukari sighed and chose not to pry further. "Right… Well, I've got some archery things to do so, I gotta go. See ya."

"Huh." Junpei rubbed the back of his head. "That was… Okay, was not expecting that."

Minato sighed quietly. "I kinda hate talking to people?" he suggested.

He laughed heartily. His cheer was almost contagious. _Almost_. "You should probably work on that! If you're gonna be staying here for the next two years, at least." Junpei gave Minato a grin, probably to instil some reassurance.

It didn't really reach him. "Uhuh. Well, later." He stood and found his way out of the classroom.

"Later dude." Junpei frowned, wondering about the weird kid they'd landed that year.

As he entered the lobby, Minato was greeted with, "How was your day?" There was someone else with her; shoulder length mullet, and glasses. Shady, yet friendly.

"Okay." As an afterthought, he added, "But tiring."

"I see." Mitsuru nodded. "I won't try to keep you then. I would just like to introduce you to the chairman." She gestured to the man.

"Thank you Mitsuru. My name is Shuji Ikutsuki. I'm the chairman of the board for your school," he explained. There was something about him that set Minato on edge, but he could only endure. "Ikutsuki, hard to say isn't it? Even I get a little tongue-tied sometimes."

Shady, friendly and eccentric then. "Do you have any questions that you'd like to ask?" Ikutsuki asked.

He shook his head, earning a satisfied smile from the chairman. "Then I hope you have a successful school year. You must be tired from all the excitement! Be sure to get some rest! After all, the early bird catches the bookworm!"

Minato chose to pretend the pun didn't happen.

"Then I'll see you another time, Arisato," Mitsuru said.

With a nod in her direction, he made his way upstairs. Kirijo-senpai didn't seem to be too bad either, he guessed. Still, the thought of even becoming acquaintances seemed far off. In fact, he didn't hate Yukari-san either. Same with Junpei. Minato just wasn't interested in making friends unless it related to his parents and his shadow whispering ability.

Sleep came quickly that evening, quietly stewing on the day as his eyelids drooped.

…

"He seems to be fast asleep," Mitsuru noted as the Dark Hour fell. Any normal person would transmogrify into a coffin, but it did not appear to be the case for Arisato. He just stayed asleep, apparently so used to it that he wouldn't even stir.

Yukari felt guilty and uncertain. He was oddly antisocial and blunt—she could feel how much he just didn't want to talk or interact with anyone, let alone the prospect of becoming friends or acquaintances with them. At the same time, you don't really just watch people through camera while they're asleep. "I feel kinda bad, spying on him like this," she mumbled.

"It is unfortunate, but we are in desperate need of new members." Ikutsuki sighed. "Wouldn't you be more comfortable working in someone that's in your grade, Yukari-san?"

"Uh well, yeah, but…" she stammered. Mitsuru-senpai was difficult to talk to _and_ from the Kirijo group. Akihiko-senpai was nice, she supposed, but couldn't talk to him about anything when all he rambled about was his training regimes.

Mitsuru mused aloud, "In any case, we're going to have to investigate a little longer for any signs of the potential. We'll come back tomorrow to check on him. Let's get some rest for the night."

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**Current Edit: 26/02/16**

**AN: Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter. **

**I've cut down on the swearing for this chapter and they should be fixed later on, but there'll still be cursing later on. Minato's personality changed while I was rewriting this chapter, which is why it might not cohere with later events until I edit the rest of these chapters.**


	3. Umbra Fury

How long does it take for you not to give a fuck about school?

For Minato? Two years ago, actually. He'd wanted to become a psychiatrist or psychologist. Nowadays, he cruised on reasonable scores, while others missed school or committed suicide to get away from parental pressure and the pain of crushed self-confidence.

Technically, he had something of that job by attempting to fix Shadows, the beings what seemed to be the absolute dredges of humanity.

Perhaps out of boredom and partially to get a job (he kept throwing yen at the vendors to buy out their stock of melon bread, which he was addicted to), he headed to Paulownia Mall. It had been renovated and had several new establishments such as Game Panic and Club Escapade to name a few.

There, in front of a fountain, was a sickly young man, thin and lanky looking, sitting on a bench. In any other circumstances, Minato might not have given a damn, but he could feel a significant pressure on his mind as he walked past. Big headaches meant powerful Shadows.

"Hey, you seem down," he spoke in Shadow Whispers.

Rubbing the back of his head, he could tell that the guy was in a lot of trouble and steeled himself for his response. "Yeah… I uh…" There was a pause before continuing. "My friend has a terminal disease… a rare cancer," the Shadow began.

It was… a Chariot Shadow, his thoughts supplied. Apparently they could be classified using tarot card systems, but their personalities tended to show the negative traits of a certain Arcanum. The reverse, if you will.

"Uh, what is it?" The first steps always had to be delicate. You had to be careful with how much pressure you put on the Shadow, cycling through appropriate responses and questions according to the situation. It was a bit like a game. A dating sim, maybe. A dating sim of death.

It sighed. "No, I don't. That… isn't really the problem though. What pains me the most, is that I don't know what to do for her. I'm no doctor, but I want to do something for her. I'm her best friend after all…" As the Shadow spoke, Minato began thinking he was biting off more than he could chew.

Still. What to do? What to say? What to tackle? "So… do you have an idea of well… anything that you want to do? Something, even small?" he started.

"I want to stay by her side to the very end," he responded.

He suppressed a smile. "Then go and do that!" Minato bit back some enthusiasm as his tongue started stinging.

"Yeah but… Thing is…" There was a long pause as the Shadow thought of how to articulate himself. "I'm sick too. I don't know whether I'll be able to stay with her until the end."

Noooooooooo—

"I see…" Minato knitted his eyebrows in thought. "I still think you should try, even if you're going to die or something," he finally continued.

The Shadow whimpered, "But if I die first, she'll suffer. If she dies first, I'll suffer even more. I just don't know what to do! I've never been more afraid of the future in my life. Every day I look to the future, looking for an answer I know I'll never get… What can I do? Why us…?"

Imagining the Shadow's grimace, he continued, "I-I get that." Well, he hoped so. "And if you really like her that much you'll be able to go through a little pain if you're going through it now. Make sense?"

Something told him that he shouldn't have said that.

"I already went through so much pain…" Crap. "Maybe I should just end it all…" Sweat trickled down Minato's forehead and temples. Shit.

"No! If you do that, she could follow!" his whispers almost rose in volume and he could now taste blood in his mouth. The excitement and stress in his words exacerbated the forming of those wounds.

He murmured, "But then, it'll end sooner. We could go together…"

A familiar pit of dread in his stomach formed. "Hey… Look, I you really want to make her happy, you have to stay with her! She wouldn't want you to die because of her and she wouldn't want to remember you like that."

"But…!" The Shadow was fighting back against his words. If he wasn't careful… Minato didn't want to think about it.

"I know… It feels pointless. Knowing that death might be coming for you and the pain that's caused as a result," he breathed out. "I can't say I understand what it feels like to go through life with that impending doom, for fear that you won't wake up the next day." Minato paused. "Some might say… People give your life meaning so you can keep going, even if you know that you could fall asleep and never come back at every waking moment. D-Does that… make sense?"

He was quiet and in tension filled silence, Minato felt sweat carve out paths on his skin. "Yeah… I got it… Thank you…"

Minato sighed in relief. Was that how helplines felt like? "N-No problem. So… considering spending some time with her now?"

"Yeah… I'll do my best to make her happy."

"Alrighty. Good luck." He could feel the Shadow's presence vanishing.

"I wish I could repay you somehow," he said, his voice growing fainter.

Wiping away the sweat, he sighed, "Don't worry. I'm sure there'll be a way." The Shadow then disappeared completely.

Shaking his head, Minato realised that he didn't find a job at all while he was talking to that Shadow. It was evening too. He saw the thin man walk off.

Most of the time, Minato got Shadows to obey him through fear. When he almost beat them to a pulp and he would use his energy to reform them into pages in something he called the Shadow Compendium. He figured that since Shadows could change from blob form to horrible Hulk Hogan impressions, they could turn into pages of books, or weapons, if he so chose.

In this instance, however, he could get powerful Shadows by means of 'Shadow Purification'. If he was able to alleviate their main worries as to why the Shadow had formed, they would become less volatile and would owe a debt to him. Because of this debt, he could easily persuade them to help him in battle not as some throwaway minions, but perhaps as equals.

While in his room, he heard something shake the dorm with a 'bang!'

Now the Dark Hour, he assumed that… perhaps it was a Shadow. Minato was now holding onto his Shadow Compendium. Very tightly.

"Hey, are you awake?" he heard. "Sorry, I'm coming in!"

Did she have a key to his room? Minato stood at Yukari's voice. "You're already awake? Ugh, never mind, we have to get out of here quick!" she exclaimed. "U-Uh, take this!"

"I'm good." She paused, but nodded slowly. Yukari now had the sword and he had a book to hit things with.

With a shaky, "Uh, alright," the two rushed downstairs. They stopped at the bottom floor, intending to escape through a back door, which was blaring with thuds and slams. "Crap…" she muttered before pressing her fingers to an earpiece.

"The one that we're fighting isn't the one that Akihiko saw," Mitsuru spoke through it.

After being informed further by Mitsuru and noting the noisy exit, she exclaimed, "Ugh… We've gotta find another way out!" Scanning the surroundings, she gestured for Minato to follow her up, rushing to the roof.

Each floor was punctuated by a quake. Yukari slammed the door shut behind them _locked_ it as if Shadows could open doors. They can't. Minato was almost sure. Neither of them could escape now, especially if something as unlikely as a Shadow climbing up the side of the buildi—

Muttering curses, Minato heard an icky lurch as fleshy, inky fingers slithered over the rooftop edge. A blue mask, held up by an arm, peered about its surroundings. Its gouged, hollow eyes, latched its gaze onto the two of them. Shit.

Yukari shook like a leaf. There had been small ones which she thought she could handle, but they didn't hold a candle to this beast, which leaked menace to match its size. Unfortunately, she didn't have a chance to choose her opponents. Trembling fingers grasped the silver gun on her thigh, swept it from her holster and pointed its muzzle not at her foe, but at her _forehead_.

"H-Hey! Wait!" He thought he'd seen stupid but this was lunacy. They were interrupted by a roaring torrent of fire. Flinching as the flames were launched at her, she fell, but managed to avoid the brunt of the attack.

The Shadow held these huge swords and Minato could only wonder how he could save himself from that blade-wielding monstrosity.

Stalking him with a predator's gaze, Minato met the Shadow's with his own glare and whispered, sending shivers to rake Yukari's spine as the words flowed from his lips. It had stopped. Perhaps it would listen to him?

Mitsuru, who'd been watching the staring contest through a monitor, blinked as she heard the strange sounds come from the speakers. "What's happening…?"

"Is that the Shadow?" Akihiko exclaimed. "I didn't know these things could talk…"

Ikutsuki adjusted his glasses. Or… was it Arisato?

"We don't have to fight." The Shadow stared him down as he kept talking. He couldn't know what would calm the Shadow, but he had to try. "We can just go our separate ways." It only growled in response, almost unintelligible, even to him.

Minato furrowed his brow. It pierced the sky with a shriek, forcing him back. The hostility striking him was unparalleled.

"Death…"

It charged, not able to be reasoned with. "Alrighty then." Minato opened his compendium, which seemed to cackle in the presence of its foe with sacrilegious shrieks.

"What is that sound?!" Yukari gasped, struggling to her feet.

He beckoned the Shadow towards him, swinging from a lunging blade, swerving from another swipe. A sweep came for his legs and came another in quick succession. Minato rolled from the slices and upon halting, tore out a page and from its pulsating form, a stream of protective flames arched over him.

Minato didn't predict that the Shadow could gash through the flames, no problem. A long wound from across his shoulders gushed blood and pain. Attempting sidesteps, another ravenous slash cried for blood. The amount of searing injuries doubled.

Grasping another two pages from his compendium, he hurled one at his foe. It twisted into a blur, slammed into and exploded frostbite over its body.

The other morphed into liquid, soothing his wounds. Minato couldn't help his smirk at the beast, which reeled from gnawing cold.

Perhaps sensing his contempt, towers of flesh seeking swords stabbed towards him, while others summoned unholy suns. He definitely couldn't dodge both.

Patting out the heat from the spheres of flame on the floor, burns almost made banquets on his skin. The healing Shadows efforts had redoubled. Struggling to his feet, another two pages surged towards the monster, making small cuts through its arms as it kept rushing at him.

"Zio!" he whispered. The thrown shadows caught onto a limb each, exploding with biting snakes of lightning. Still, however reckless, it homed in on Minato, ignoring the parasites feeding off its flesh.

The two afflicted arms swung at him, slamming the Shadows onto the floor. Torn between recalling the puddles and dodging, he was caught on his arm and leg. The healing Shadow spread further, numbed spots of pain stinging once more.

Of course, the Shadow would attack him again. The two previously floored Shadows attacked with another couple, sliding onto the beast's squirming hands. One of them, fell, screeching and thrashing independently of the original, losing grip of its sword.

Collecting the blade, he plunged it into the Shadow's mask, making it release the roars of fallen souls. Even Minato had to cover his ears. Still he chuckled, as hell hanged on his eardrums.

He was about to finish it off with another volley of Shadows, but the thought was muted as his gaze was drawn onto the silver gun that Yukari had dropped, sitting in a puddle of blood.

"Go on…" Was it the voice of the child he encountered first night to the dorm?

As if compelled, he picked it up. The Shadow growled as Minato's Shadows returned to his compendium, beginning to recover from his earlier blow. The gun's muzzle was at his temple.

A single word was uttered. "Persona." The sound of gunfire.

Normal guns would have blasted a hole through him, but instead, blue mist spread, giving rise to a slim, mechanical creature bearing a lyre on his back. With a power hungry grin and gleam, he called its name. "Orpheus…"

He collapsed to his knees, dropping his compendium as a rush penetrated, thrashed and scratched at the inside of his skull.

Orpheus echoed Minato's agonised screams as it contorted, twisted and was forced apart into scrap metal. White, gloved hands dug out of the parts, shredding it in half. In Orpheus' place was a black creature, immensely imposing and promising pain with its hollow eyes.

It roared to the heavens, echoing in Minato's head. Despite just breaking his mind open, euphoria consumed him in a bestial, pleasant way. Coffins lids waved in the air as it spun towards the helpless Shadow with its sword.

Clawing, ripping and shredding at flesh and blood with its bare hands, black liquid squelched out of its grip. The bloody work now complete, the creature laughed uproariously in triumph, oozing with the dissolving ichor of its prey. The leftover mask merged with the bits of blood and seeing it gone from his sight brought a grin to Minato's face.

The absolute glee it expressed at the prospect of killing, destroying and ravaging everything in its path was reflected in Minato's gleaming smile.

It dissipated in a show of static back into Orpheus, which disappeared in blue light. Minato fell from his power high and slumped onto the ground, only making out footsteps and Yukari's voice as he passed out.

* * *

**Current Edit: 27/02/16**

**AN: ****Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	4. Butterfly Wings

"Welcome to the Velvet Room my dear young man…"

As he struggled to regain consciousness, he faintly heard the words. His eyes were finally forced open, and they noticed that it was not the dorm rooftop. Minato was very sure that it was not blue, or that there was an elevator there. This was especially so, as he observed the man sitting hunched across from him, ala Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Taking his silence, and his guest's eyes now focused upon him as a sign to continue, the man continued. "This is the Velvet Room. This place exists between dream and reality. Mind and matter. It's been years since we've had a guest." His grin grew, as if he wasn't grinning enough. "My name is Igor… I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

Minato nodded slowly, not really sure if he could become anything more than acquaintances with the strange… creature.

He just chuckled. "We, of the Velvet Room," Igor gestured to a woman standing next to his armchair, "have summoned you here to begin something of great importance; so important, that your future may be forever lost if you do not.

"However, I must first introduce you to someone. This is Elizabeth."

Where Igor had turned was the woman from before. She was clad in blue, wore an enigmatic smile, and had entrancing, golden eyes. "Pleased to meet you," she greeted.

As Minato nodded once again, Igor said, "Only those that have signed the contract can enter this place. Henceforth, you shall be welcome here in the Velvet Room. You are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require my help to do so."

He waved his hand, revealing the red folder that Minato had signed in the first night he came to the dorm. "I only ask one thing in return... that you abide by the contract and assume responsibility for the choices that you make."

Minato inclined his head. He supposed that it was as simple as it sounded, but a niggling feeling at the back of his head was starting to make him unsure. "So…?" It wasn't the strangeness of the Velvet Room place, or the people in it—at this point, he was willing to accept the inevitability of encountering shit that would land him in a psych ward—but a certain chill from within him, bristling with anticipation. Excitement.

"You became unconscious after awakening to your 'power'. It is nothing to worry about, so just relax…" The request only served to make Minato more unsettled. "By the way... I see that it was Orpheus that heeded your calling. That power is called a Persona... It is a manifestation of your psyche."

Minato furrowed his brow in thought. "And the bigger one too?"

For once, it wasn't Igor that answered. "Yes and no… On one hand, it is indeed a facet of your psyche, currently too strong for you to control. On the other, it may be that something else had a hand in its release."

Whatever the case, it still meant it was a part of him. From… _it's_ violent show, he saw a beast utterly hell bent on destruction that would not suffer anything to live. What did that say about him, especially when he too was revelling in the power high it gave him?

"When you use your Persona ability, you must channel your inner strength. The ability evolves as you develop your Social Links: Your emotional ties with others. The stronger your Social Links, the more powerful your Persona ability," Igor continued.

"What if I don't want to have them?"

"You will have to accept and deal with the consequences that may arise from it," Elizabeth answered.

He was torn. Minato found it extremely difficult to talk to people, let alone get along with them since he had something of a natural compulsion: something that urged him to push other people away. He didn't know why it stopped whenever he was talking to Shadows, however.

Igor chuckled. "Now, then... Time marches on in your world. I shouldn't keep you here any longer. Take this…" A small key fell from the endless ceiling into Minato's lap. "Next time we meet, you will come here of your own accord. Until then... Farewell."

As he held the key, white blanketed his vision.

"I will see you again," Minato faintly heard what he thought was Elizabeth's voice before he couldn't hear any more.

"Master…" Elizabeth turned to Igor.

"You know his fate, Elizabeth. We must simply bear with it," Igor sighed. "I do not know why the master chose someone like him, but we must assist him as best we can. His future… and his wellbeing depend on it."

She furrowed her brow, stewing a concoction of curiosity and uncertainty.

…

His eyes opened to white, nose awash with the stench of hand wash. And aches. Hammering away at his legs, arm and chest. He supposed that what he'd just experienced was a dream. "Oh, you're awake!"

He urged his head towards the voice, making out Yukari next to his bed. Minato, now at grips with the sickening sterility assaulting his senses, figured that he was probably in a hospital. He cleared his throat. "Hi."

"Hey. I'm glad to see you're going okay." Yukari smiled a little. "We were worried sick about you! You just kept sleeping and sleeping and sleeping… do you have any idea how worried I was about you?" She sighed. "You were out for about a week! A-And your power…"

Minato blinked. Thought she didn't like him. Then again, they were previously in a life and death situation. There's a lot of mixed feelings including: Wow, what an asshole; assholes don't necessarily need to die. "How are you feeling?

Regretting trying to move his arm, Minato settled for an "Alright."

"That's good." She breathed out a sigh of relief. "Um… I wanted to talk to you about a few things…" He raised an eyebrow. Not like he was in a position to refuse. "Um… First of all, I just wanted to say 'thank you' for protecting me. I didn't think I was going to be much help back there… I panicked and…"

Having learned his lesson, he answered with, "It's cool." She looked at him, brow knitted. "Look… I might not like talking to people but… I won't leave someone to die."

Her eyes widened. "I… I guess you're right. Still, thanks." She smiled slightly. "And… I wanted—no, needed to get something off my mind. I've been thinking about it for a while… I wanted to say that I'm kinda like you."

At Minato's silence, she continued. "My dad… he died in an accident ten years ago and I don't really talk to my mum anymore." There was some similarity, yes. "You're all alone too, aren't you?"

She didn't know the half of it. "Yeah. But… I am still different."

"Right, we're not completely the same but—"

"I mean..." Minato pursed his lips. "Well, you're not anti-social like I am, so uh… you must be doing something right." Yukari… did not expect him to say that. A joke at his own expense, huh? "Why are you telling me this? You looked at me like I was something you scraped off your shoe before."

After some thought, she replied "I guess I thought it would be good to know that you aren't… or we aren't alone with someone who doesn't know how you're feeling."

He nodded slightly, although some part of him told him not to believe. "I see." Minato closed his eyes. "And look, about what I said… about not being friends with you." This time, she raised an eyebrow. "It's not really your fault? I just prefer to be alone. But if you have something important… then I'm open."

"Oh…" Well, it was better than last week, at least. "Then yeah. Thanks for listening. I'd been waiting to tell someone that for a really long time."

"Yeah."

"Alright. Thanks." Yukari stood. "I should tell the others that you've woken up now."

As she left his ward, he revelled in the peace and quiet.

…Wait, where's his compendium?

…

He'd only been able to steal a glimpse of the mysterious set of doors on the fourth floor of the dormitory. Apparently it was the 'command room'.

Minato shut the doors behind him and for a moment, observed the people sat on the armchairs and couches. While he recognised Mitsuru's poise and seriousness, Ikutsuki's off putting mullet and tan suit and Yukari's attempting-to-look-calm face, he couldn't put his finger on the last character.

With the slightest hint of a smirk, the grey-haired teen next to Mitsuru oozed a cool confidence that not even his hunched posture could conceal. Minato assumed that he was a senior student that he hadn't met prior and sat next to Yukari, relaxing against the back of the couch.

"Hey." Minato regarded the unfamiliar senior's greeting with a nod.

"This is Akihiko Sanada. He's the last resident of the dorm and your senior by a year."

Seeing Minato's acknowledgement, Ikutsuki began on the heels of Mitsuru's introduction. "So, Arisato-kun, would you believe me if I said that there were twenty-five hours in a day?"

"Yeah. It's hard not to notice the green and whatever else."

At Minato's response, Ikutsuki let out a small smile. "How long would you say you have been aware of that twenty-fifth hour then?"

He shrugged. "Ten years, I think?" Reactions ranged from horrified and trying to keep a straight face.

Ikutsuki's expression did not waver, however.

"I-I see…" Mitsuru closed her eyes. "We have called you here to ask of you a request."

Minato suppressed his scoff. Of course they'd ask him to do something. She took his lack of response as a chance to continue. "The residents of this dorm make up a group known as SEES. Although we are classified as a school club, we are in reality, a group that aims to eradicate the Shadows and unravel the mysteries of the twenty-fifth hour we call the Dark Hour."

He sighed. "You want me to join."

"Correct! You see, only those with the potential are able to fight against the Shadows. They can only do so with their Persona ability: the power that you used the night the dormitory was attacked," Ikutsuki explained.

He assumed from the small amount of people there and the rest of the populace having transmogrified into coffins that the number of people with the potential was painfully small. "Mitsuru-kun here sensed that you wield a surprising amount of that strength."

"…Right." Minato pursed his lips. "I am thinking about it."

"O-Oh! You don't have to decide right away. We don't want to pressure you or anything," Yukari exclaimed, glancing at the other three.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Don't worry about it. I just… have a few conditions."

Mitsuru furrowed her brow. They were desperate for members. There was a mercifully small number of people with the potential and every person counted. If the price was too steep, however, she had to ponder whether granting those requests would really benefit their group in the long run. "What are they?" she intoned.

"First is that I just want to stay in the dorm here."

Ikutsuki chuckled. Probably at what he thought was a private joke. "Well, that can easily be arranged!"

Minato paused for a moment, seemingly unnerved at his all too happy response. "Right… The second is… I want my book back. I need it if we're fighting Shadows," he continued. "It's the one that should've been with me when I fell unconscious."

"You mean this?" Akihiko paused for a moment, then picked up from near the armchair a leather bound book with black pages on the inside. It hissed and shook unsettlingly, as if it was its own entity.

Minato nodded.

"Well…" Akihiko glanced at Mitsuru. She nodded in response. "Alright. But you should probably tell us what that is."

He knitted his brow. He supposed that he could put aside a few secrets when it came to getting revenge on whatever was responsible for his parents' deaths. They claimed that they could already shoot ethereal beings using fake guns after all. Eventually, Minato sighed. "It's a book which contains Shadows. I can talk to them and use their powers to defend myself from other Shadows that might want to attack me."

Yukari's eyes widened. So that was the strange sound that she'd heard? It was him _whispering_ to his Shadows, or something like that?

"How is that even possible…?" Akihiko mumbled, not loud enough for him to hear.

Mitsuru eyed Minato suspiciously for a split second. "I've never heard of such an ability before…"

He shrugged. "Well, now's your chance to learn…" Minato muttered. As much as he was getting the vibe that they were surprised or even afraid of what he'd just divulged, he figured that if there was ever going to be an opportunity to learn about the Kirijo group's involvement in the accident ten years ago, it was then. The mysteries of the night his parents died in itched to be cleared up.

"I for one am very intrigued by this ability that you have, Arisato-kun. I think it would be prudent for us as a group to learn more about it," Ikutsuki cut in. "We are in desperate need of members to be picky, after all." He gave a pointed look to the two seniors in particular.

While Mitsuru mulled it over, Yukari added, "I don't think that seems unreasonable… He did manage to defend me from the Shadows using them. I don't want to imagine what would've happened if he didn't." She hesitated to speak further for a moment. "He probably didn't even need to summon his Persona to finish that big Shadow off. After all, if you're more comfortable using something, it's only natural that you'd want to…"

Yukari almost trailed off midsentence as Mitsuru in particular gave it some further thought when Akihiko murmured, "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot. He's not asking for much and maybe we could learn more about the Shadows. If nothing else, he can still fight against them and that's what we need. What about you, Mitsuru?" It certainly gave her a bit of a confidence boost, especially since she was taking so long to think about it.

She hummed, seemingly in affirmation. "I suppose there are no objections then?" Looking at it objectively, he did appear to have great experience using that ability of his. A fear of his powers was justified considering it had never been encountered once before—at least, not in any instance that she knew of—but he did take on a large, powerful Shadow singlehandedly and win squarely in combat against it. Considering their need and that apparent experience, there was little reason to deny his contributions at that point.

"It's settled then! I think it would be best if we all got some rest now. It would be _alarming_ if none of you woke up in time for school the next morning." As Ikutsuki chuckled at his own joke, all deadpans were placed on him.

"In any case, we're glad to have you on board." Akihiko grinned, seemingly ignoring the chairman's pun.

Minato was thankful that there weren't a greater deal of formalities from that point on, but the uneasy atmosphere as a result of his revelation didn't make things better. There was a slight bit of contention, he usually hated human interaction… Great chemistry was truly on the horizon.

Towards the end of the meeting a strange _calm_ permeated the ill air, as if time itself demanded it come to a slow so that he could bask in it, if only momentarily. He wondered if the metaphorical red string of Fate drawn between each of the SEES members was anything more than just a split second of camaraderie.

He pondered it for a moment, but found sleep quickly. Minato hoped that _maybe_ he'd made the right choice.

* * *

**Edited: 31/03/16**

**AN: As a general note, the Shadow Compendium works by changing the form of a Shadow into a page and being stuck into the book. They retain all their skills and resistances and are summoned as needed from the book.**


	5. Conjugal Visits

His mood was more or less mutilated that afternoon.

After how not-sarcastic and not-annoyed he was being at everyone in the dorm, he realised that he needed to up his game. After all, if acting emo didn't work to keep people away, then acting like a jerk was the next level up.

Minato had encountered Junpei the next afternoon and they had a short conversation. If you could call 'wow, you're an asshole' and a bunch of shrugs a conversation.

During their break, Mitsuru joined their classroom briefly to tell Yukari and Minato to go back to the dorm early. "I wonder what's so important," Yukari wondered aloud as she left. It would be a mystery, he supposed. "Anyways, what happened with you and Junpei in the morning?"

Minato deadpanned at her, clearing his throat before speaking. "He asked me why I don't like talking to people. And I answered that it was because of exactly what he was doing right then."

She blinked. "Y-You know you could have just told him straight up that you didn't want to talk? Junpei's a bit dumb sometimes but he can take a few verbal cues. No need to be sarcastic."

"You aren't my mother."

Yukari's eyes widened. "O-Of course I'm not! I'm just saying…" She clenched her teeth, trying to come up with some stronger response. "Look, I-I'm not saying this because I want to be friends. At the very least, I'm just hoping we can get along when we need to. I'm saying this because you're going to tick off a lot of people and you could hurt their feelings."

He drew his mouth into a thin line. "W-Well…" Minato cleared his throat once again. "That's why they only need to talk to me once to get the message…"

By then, she'd had enough of his antisocial antics and didn't deign to reply. If that was what he wanted, she'd give him that.

As if to spit on what had transpired at school, Junpei showed up in the doorway of the dormitory later that afternoon accompanied by Akihiko. "Wassup?" He grinned, especially at Minato who was looking at him with a dumbfounded expression.

Why was he going to be stuck with the same guy he tried telling off earlier that morning?! "W-What's he doing here?" Yukari asked, wearing a sort of half smile as if to say 'in your face, Minato!'

Clueless to the tension running between the three juniors, Akihiko asked, "You already know him?" Minato concluded that it was because of Akihiko that Junpei was there.

"Y-Yeah…" Yukari tried suppressing her laugh, but it wasn't working. "Wow, that's… great Junpei! You have the potential!"

Junpei gave her his trademark grin. "Hell yeah. Bet you're stoked to have me here on the team!"

See, miracles _did_ happen. Even Junpei and Yukari could agree on something. "Well, that's good. It'll be easier to work as a team later."

"He found me crying in a convenience store surrounded by a bunch of coffins." Junpei was clearly enthused to divulge the story of his awakening. "But man, I was surprised to find out about you guys. How was it, summoning the thing? I don't really remember much about awakening to be honest. Feels like it was all a haze. But apparently it's normal."

Yukari thought for a moment before glancing at Minato. He'd sunk further into the couch, as if his posture wasn't garbage already. "It was the same with me," she admitted. "I don't remember exactly when it happened, but it was pretty scary."

"Heh. All good Yuka-tan." His grin had the hint of a sneer as he turned towards Minato. Again with the 'in your face' train of thought. "What about you?"

He deadpanned in response before saying with a flat line tone, "I don't remember."

"You were at least scared, right?"

Minato sighed. "I don't know."

"Ah, right," Akihiko spoke up. "Minato's been active in the Dark Hour for longer than even Mitsuru. I guess he can't remember exactly what it was like that far back. It was ten years… right?"

Junpei's mouth was agape all the while, especially as Minato gave a (miffed) sound of affirmation. "Right…" he mumbled.

"Anyways, it's not a contest. I might have awakened before you two, but all that matters is that you get experience fighting the monsters of the Dark Hour." Akihiko glanced at Junpei. "That is, the Shadows.

"Tonight, since we have a large enough team, we're going to start the exploration of the place known as Tartarus," he explained further.

Minato half listened to Akihiko's explanation, eyes glazed over and fixated on a random spot in the room. Something about the finding out the origins of the Dark Hour. Clearing up mysteries. All good. Slightly lower on his priority list though.

"So, what do you guys think?" Akihiko asked.

Oh yeah, there was something about toothpaste as well. But no, Tartarus was a tower of some sort. Not 'tartar'.

Minato sank into the couch as the others expressed their interest and explained about the fact that Tartarus was a place that only showed up during the Dark Hour. "Not interested, huh?" Junpei asked him.

"Call it extreme exercise. It sucks fighting one or two Shadows… a-and then you have a nest," he intoned. "Less interest, more annoyance."

Yukari at least had to agree with Minato on that. "I… I guess I see where you're coming from. They can be tough to deal with. This'll be Junpei's first time fighting them, so he wouldn't know."

"Pft. They can't be that hard…"

A book flew into his chest. "Don't knock it 'til you've tried it."

Junpei cringed as he heard a low hissing sound come from the compendium. "The hell is this…?" he cautiously opened it to a random page. There, he saw a pair of red eyes staring at him and white symbols spanning the page. None of it looked like hiragana or kanji. They were more like indecipherable spirals, dots and swirls.

"He explained a while ago… It's a book which actually _contains_ Shadows," Yukari explained slowly. "Minato controls them and he uses them to fight against hostile Shadows. I-Is that it?"

He nodded.

"So you're like… a Shadow tamer?" Junpei's eyes widened.

Minato shrugged. "I guess." He stood, clearly having had enough of the discussion. "I'm going to sleep…" After taking the compendium, he walked upstairs.

If he used Shadows, then why was he there? How did he control them? He chose the less offensive question. "How is it that he can control Shadows? Like, why even?" Junpei asked as Minato walked upstairs.

Yukari bit her lip. "Well… when Minato was trying to fight against one of the larger Shadows, I heard him… I think he was talking to them and using their language or something like that." Her words and body shivered. "It sounded so… Ugh, I don't want to remember."

If she had to, it was like repeating the chants to unholy rituals in hushed tones, too afraid to raise her voice any further. Hearing the whispers dip, drag and claw into her flesh made her want to crawl into herself. To screw up her eyes and bolt her ears shut.

"It's too bad that none of us know much about his ability, but he's one of our greatest assets so far." Akihiko gave each of them hard looks. "He may be more powerful than me and Mitsuru, and we've been fighting the Shadows for some time now."

So he was a special kid, huh? Someone would could control Shadows. Junpei gritted his teeth. That was hardly fair.

"I… I have a bit of a feeling," Yukari began, drawing the others' attention. "Maybe the Shadows have something to do with why he keeps trying to push everyone away."

Junpei furrowed his brow. "How do you think?"

He sighed heavily. "It is… possible. It's not as if the Dark Hour and the Shadows are cakewalks." He added as an afterthought "If they were, we wouldn't need you guys' help."

Later that evening, the team travelled in search of Tartarus. Mitsuru continued to build their surprise as they were walking their usual routes to school. When they arrived in front of the school gates, clamour arose from the juniors in particular. "Why're we at the school? I thought we were supposed to be looking for a huge tower!" Junpei exclaimed.

"It only appears in the Dark Hour, remember?" Yukari pursed her lips. Truthfully, she had little idea of how the school could equate to Tartarus in the Dark Hour, but she supposed she just had to wait and see.

Akihiko sighed at the two's antics. "It's almost midnight," he noted, watching the space between the hands dwindle.

With a deep breath, time distorted. Vision became steeped with green. Red and the stench of iron stained the surroundings. The typical unease of the Dark Hour was followed by the unfamiliar groans of Chthonic beasts as metal heaved, screeched into the sap sky.

The school. The gates fell away and the path inwards was pockmarked with cold lamp light. The building was stretched into a tower, lopsided structures being pulled into the sky like a piece from a child's pop-up book. The monolith's apex reached to touch the face of the old moon, casting dark shadows where it could.

"This… is Tartarus," Mitsuru introduced.

Junpei's jaw hung in place. "W-What happened? Why'd our school turn into this freaky tower?!"

Yukari glanced at Mitsuru warily. "Don't you know?"

She stayed quiet for a few moments. "No," Mitsuru replied.

Yukari decided to leave it until later, not that Minato and Junpei didn't notice their senior's hesitation.

As they walked, Minato felt a caged animal within trying to claw its way to the surface. It thrashed in the prison of his soul and scrabbled at the underside of his skin. Although he showed little interest earlier, he felt excited. Something about the eerie skyscraper simply felt like _home_.

"This is the lobby of Tartarus. The stairs at the large clock lead upwards into the labyrinth," Mitsuru began. "The door in the corner, on the right side of the stairs, we haven't been able to open."

The floor was a chess board, majesty glinting and crowning the surroundings with unrivalled shine. As Minato looked upon the room, he observed a door to the left side of the stairs. It was blue and didn't seem to match the décor.

"That on the side appears to be a device of some sort, but it isn't activated," Mitsuru finished.

"Wow… This place looks amazing," Junpei mumbled.

"It really is… It's creepy but there's just something about it," Yukari continued.

Akihiko cut into the juniors' praises. "Before we go inside, we have to pick a leader to make any necessary decisions while you guys explore."

"Not coming?" Minato asked sharply.

He furrowed his brow. "Yeah. Mitsuru needs to stay behind so she can act as support while you explore. I'd join you and lead you myself but…" Akihiko's eyes were drawn towards his still healing injury.

"Oh, oh! Pick me!" Junpei piped up.

Yukari shifted uncomfortably as Akihiko looked upon each of the junior members, seemingly unfazed by Junpei's enthusiasm. "Minato, you're in charge."

Minato raised an eyebrow. "I'm not… a leader type," he struggled. "Why not Junpei?" He was loath to led by him, but he certainly didn't have the eagerness or… confidence that Junpei had.

His grin widened. "Heh, that's right. I'll do better than he ever will!"

Akihiko shook his head. "It's not that I don't see how much you want to do it. It's just that Minato has more experience fighting against Shadows."

"I agree with Akihiko," Mitsuru finally spoke. "Arisato has more battle experience than most of us and has summoned his Persona before while under pressure."

"Are you serious?" Junpei exclaimed.

Akihiko nodded. "Besides… Can you two summon your Persona like he can?" He unsheathed the silver gun—the device known as the Evoker—from its holster, resting its muzzle against his temple. "If you don't have your Persona, you're screwed."

Yukari bit her lip and got out a shaky "I'm aware of that."

"H-Heh, of course I can…" he muttered in reassurance.

He opened his mouth to get out another 'no' but Yukari spoke up. "Uh, Minato-kun? They do make a point. You did summon your Persona so… What if you lead just until senpai fully recovers?"

Minato sighed. It was a fair enough compromise, he supposed. "If you say so…"

For the most part, they seemed satisfied. Junpei still looked annoyed, but perked up just as soon as Akihiko talked about giving out weapons for them to use. "Minato-kun? Aren't you picking out a weapon?" Yukari asked.

He shook his head. "Are you sure?" Mitsuru pressed.

"One: I don't know how to use any of that so it'd probably more dangerous than beneficial. Two: I need both my hands free." He gestured with his compendium.

While Junpei raved about 'katanas are for men!' Minato took the opportunity to inspect the out of place door near the steps. The blue glow that the door gave off clued him in as to what might be inside.

The key he was given earlier drifted into his hands from the ceiling, allowing him to unlock it. His eyes were immediately awash with velvety blue.

"I've been waiting for you." Igor waited for Minato to sit down opposite him. "The time has come for you to wield your power. The tower that you are about to venture into... How did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist? Regrettably, you are not yet capable of answering these questions. That is why you must be made aware of the nature of your power."

Taking his guest's simple nod as a sign, he continued with, "Your power is unique. It's like the number zero... It's empty, but at the same time holds infinite possibilities. You, my boy, are able to possess multiple Personas, and summon them as needed.

"When you have defeated your enemies, you will see the faces of possibility before you. There may be times when they are difficult to grasp... But, do not fear. Seize what you have earned. Your power will grow accordingly... Be sure to keep that in mind."

He nodded again. Although he had trouble wrapping his head around the 'faces of possibility' after defeating his enemies, which he assumed were the Shadows, Minato figured that he'd come to know what Igor was talking about in time. "Okay… What is _your_ purpose then?"

"It is my job to create new Personas," he answered. "When you are victorious, these 'faces of possibility' will appear to you as various cards—cards that have differing Persona on them. By taking multiple Persona cards, you have the chance to create a single, more powerful Persona.

"Furthermore, if you've established a Social Link, you may be able to create an even stronger Persona. So, as you accumulate cards, please bring them to me."

Well uh… he supposed this would make more sense when he actually had more than one. "Do the ones that are used disappear?"

"Indeed," Elizabeth supplied. "However, there is a way to retrieve Persona used in fusion, or those that you have receded back into the sea of your soul." She gestured with the large tome she held. Minato immediately noticed the similarities between his and the one she held. "But until you have multiple Persona, there is no use for me to explain it now."

Minato nodded once again.

"My spare time will soon grow scarce. Please come again of your own accord when you have time." Igor chuckled.

"Okay." His vision was engulfed by white. Once he could finally see again, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Dude, you've been staring at that wall for almost a minute now," Junpei sighed. "What kinda leader are you?"

"Clearly, one by choice. Let's go." The two of them returned to the crowd.

"Good luck you three," Mitsuru said. "I'll be feeding you information from here, so if you have any problems don't be afraid to tell me."

The team then made their way into the labyrinth. Upon entering the portal, vertigo very nearly swept them off their feet, swirling adrenaline through their systems. Things in sight twisted into a mesh of colours until the lobby was no longer visible.

"Can you all hear me?" Mitsuru's scratchy, metallic voice breached their minds.

"Loud and clear senpai," Junpei said, wondering how Mitsuru was able to contact them. Probably a Persona thing.

"I can," Yukari replied.

"Mmhm."

"Alright. Your task for tonight is to get a feel for Tartarus. Become accustomed to battle here," she informed. "I would like for you to only stay on this floor and defeat every Shadow on it. I'll explain things further as you go further in, but stay cautious."

Minato sighed, observing the two others. Junpei had his katana, of course, but Minato had to wonder why he was holding it like a baseball bat. Yukari was equipped with a bow and quiver of arrows. "Junpei, just behind me. Yukari, stay a bit further back," he instructed.

"I can barely hear you," Junpei muttered, begrudgingly taking his place behind Minato. Yukari did the same."

He shrugged and began down the corridor, being careful to suppress sound from his steps. "Well, Shadows aren't deaf."

Mitsuru seemed to agree. "He is correct. You need every advantage against the Shadows and the element of surprise is critical. Shadows are not forgiving and will attack first if you are not prepared. Groups of Shadows travel in small packs, taking the form of gelatinous, black sludge. It is best to strike first perhaps with a long distance projectile or simply sneaking up on them like Minato has suggested."

"Suppose you got that from some of your experience, huh?" Junpei spat.

Minato nodded, ignoring the distaste in Junpei's voice. "Feel up to it, Yukari?"

"I-It's probably best if you do it, Minato-kun," she said meekly.

"What about me?" Junpei asked.

He just shrugged and went to find the nearest pack of Shadows. "Just don't yell out your attack or something. I'll give you each of you turns." There were probably only three, considering its medium size.

Once he was sure it had turned away, Minato crept up behind it and booted it into the wall.

Yukari suppressed a gasp of surprise. He literally just went up to it and kicked its ass! If it was that easy to sneak up on Shadows, they'd have no problem fighting them. Of course, she wasn't that hopeful, but it was a nice thought.

Three murky blobs splattered onto the floor. As the three recovered, Minato beckoned the team over. "Surround them."

"Magnifique performance. I will just remind you now; you are not alone. I am able to scan your enemies and pinpoint any weaknesses. You can find them out by trying different attacks. Once you've found weaknesses and resistances, I will record them. Whenever you want to scan the same enemy again later on, I can let you know."

"Would now be demanding?"

Mitsuru scoffed. "You underestimate me. I'll scan the enemy."

Now that the three had the Shadows cornered, he could recognise the Shadows. Minato had seen them many times before, being one of the weakest, but one of the most common types of Shadow: Cowardly Mayas. "Does anyone have fire?" he asked aloud, flipping his compendium open.

Junpei grinned. "Fire? Uh, yeah, I have fire!" Once the muzzle of his Evoker was pressed against his temple, he was now fully aware of euphoric agitation itching inside him. Sweat shone on his forehead, chemicals pumping through his veins.

Still, perhaps fuelled by jealous determination, he pulled the trigger.

Bang! From a flurry of blue light, a metal, winged humanoid by the name of Hermes surged with flames towards one of the Mayas, blasting it apart with heat in a shower of black ick.

"Good," Minato complimented shortly. "Yukari, g-get the other," he commanded, sprinting towards a just recovered Shadow.

It swept a set of dark claws at him, but he swerved away. He reached for its arm and with some effort, slammed it into the nearest wall with a squelchy thud. Two showers of ichor inked across the floor and wall. It seemed Yukari had fired a square shot as well. "Whew…" she breathed out.

"What a stunning victory!" Mitsuru couldn't help but smile a little at how well that battle went.

"Heh, we got 'em good!" Junpei said.

"Y-Yeah, we did," Yukari nodded.

As Minato breathed out a sigh of relief, he saw three floating cards appear in his mind. Deciding to try and 'grab' at them, the cards switched, swapped and cycled until he was able to pick the one he wanted. Calm filtered through his body, quiet energy channelling towards what he thought was Orpheus' power. He managed to pick out a new Persona called 'Apsaras'.

Mitsuru hummed in agreement. "Our goal for tonight is to get you all accustomed to fighting against these Shadows and get a feel for Tartarus, so I want you to go and find all of the groups of Shadows on the floor and destroy all of them. They shouldn't be too tough, but exercise caution. Once you do that, you will be able to return by finding an access point, which is a device much like the one in the lobby."

Yukari nodded to herself before turning back to Minato, who was just scanning the corridors. He certainly wasn't paying much attention to the book twitching and squirming in his grip. She supposed maybe it was just something for her to get used to, but she couldn't help but feel unsettled.

On the other hand, Junpei was getting frustrated. He managed to summon his Persona on his first try, which was freaking sweet, but Minato had managed to take care of his Shadow just by punting it and brawling with it.

Seeming to remember he wasn't alone, he beckoned the two juniors over with a hand gesture. He needed to get used to that bitter fact, didn't he? At least the enemies weren't too tough. As they walked, he probed the halls with a whispered 'hello?' to any lurking Shadows, hoping for some kind of intelligent response.

A roar bounded down the walls and floor, making Junpei and Yukari jump in surprise. "A Shadow!" Minato sidestepped a rushing incognito blob and kicked it into the wall. It burst into the form of a monolithic beetle several times larger than the team with a crowning horn.

A Grave Beetle, he presumed. An Emperor Shadow with a weakness to… uh… Goddammit.

"Eat this!" Katana met horn, opening a thin wound. With a screech, the Grave Beetle bashed Junpei into the ground as if creating claps of thunder.

Yukari gasped and fired at the Shadow, her worry turning to horror as the arrowhead glanced off its thick carapace.

"Over here," Minato whispered. Using its tongue, he managed to draw the Grave Beetle's attention away from the other two. "Yukari, help Junpei!" His compendium summon blurred into the beetle with a resounding 'bang' before bouncing off onto the ground.

"Sorry for the wait. This enemy is weak to wind!" Mitsuru informed.

Minato decided to give Yukari a chance to try summoning her Persona. Besides, while he could easily best the beetle with one of his stronger Shadows, it always took more energy out of him.

She dug her Evoker out of her holster, crouched over Junpei's flattened body. Her grip shook, threatening to fail. However, this was no time for fear! It was her teammate in trouble. She could do this.

With a hesitant click, a maiden figure arose from a blast of blue light behind her. It tugged on the chains binding her to the cow-head seat. "Dia!" A warm hum emanated from her Persona, Io, coursing from it to Junpei, engulfing him like song.

"T-Thanks, Yuka-tan!" Junpei said as he struggled to full height. The aches and bruises were soothed by the spell, much to her relief.

"No problem…" She then turned towards the Grave Beetle, which was trying to chase Minato up and down the corridor. He was surrounded by a green hue, leaving afterimages as he taunted the Shadow. "Io, Garu!"

The Persona swung round to face its foe, releasing flashes of green light. In the next split second, emerald waves of energy gusted from below the hulking beast, tossing it up into the air. The tornado gashed at its shell, ripping open large wounds.

Minato nodded to himself in approval as it released anguished screams of 'mother!' He opened with both hands to a set of pages. If the tornado that Yukari made with her magic hurt, this spell battered it mercilessly with a green, roaring hurricane. Ichor sprayed from the attack, shadow flesh dissolving on the walls, floor and in the air.

"Arisato, did you just use a third tier spell on that Shadow?" Mitsuru asked as the battlefield quieted.

Junpei looked dumbfounded at Minato's show of power, face soon scrunching up with ire. The same went for Yukari. She wasn't sure whether to be impressed, saying goodbye to her confidence or to be horrified. A little bit of everything, she decided.

"Yeah. And Yukari summoned her Persona," he added absentmindedly. "How many left?"

"…there are three more groups."

Minato beckoned the team, their musings quieting.

* * *

**Edited: 01/04/16**

**AN: Fixed the fight scene, bit of dialogue and surprisingly, more description and character thought. I intended to cull, but I ended up adding more than I took away. .-. Also sorry, I got tired of putting in the stammers, since it hampers conversation flow so there's a lot less. **

**There's less focus on Elizabeth than before, but hopefully I can fix that later down the track. **

**Also, thanks Zentari2238 for that in-depth critique. Really will help me with this story.**

**Anyways! I like this chapter now! So hope you did as well and thanks for reading!**


	6. Live Concerts, Live Performances

To Minato's shame, he found out that it would never be possible to play a game of solitaire in his own head.

That wasn't counting the fact that none of the cards really had any symbols or numbers on them. They _did_. Each Persona card appeared to belong to a certain Arcanum, like the ones in tarot, and each were numbered. Up to where exactly, he wasn't quite sure. He wasn't a fortune teller, after all.

No, it was because he didn't have enough space in his head to be able to fit all of them. He could only have ten at a time, rather than fifty-two. The other Persona cards, he had to dismiss and he couldn't use their powers or resistances.

When he tried holding onto it, it gave him a huge headache. One of the ear and head-splitting ones. Not great. At least it wasn't a huge loss though! Minato did only use his Personas to shuffle around weaknesses and resistances against Shadow attacks. He didn't actually summon them often.

This was why he was on his way to the Velvet Room at a most begrudging pace. He'd originally come to Paulownia mall because Akihiko-senpai had been showing him and Junpei where they could get armour and weapons for their Tartarus expeditions but since discovering the hidden entrance in the Paulownia mall side street, he couldn't help but get some questions answered. That and… well, just maybe, he could get Elizabeth's large book explained to him.

His senses were awash with ocean blue tones, an odd, but welcoming calmness diffusing in his lungs. "Welcome to the Velvet Room," Igor greeted. "It appears you have found the alternate entrance to this place…" He turned to the attendant. "Elizabeth, if you please?"

She stepped forward with a spark in her golden eyes. "I will now explain to you the purpose of the tome I carry." Elizabeth held it up for him. It was, like the rest of the room, tones of dark blue, but aside from some silver accentuations appeared to be like any other large hardback book. The pages glowed with a white, mysterious aura, as if made to contrast what he had built his strength upon. "From this, for a fee, I am able to resummon any registered Personas into the forefront of your psyche."

Minato rubbed the back of his head. "Money, you mean?" He did indeed get some money in these briefcases scattered on the Tartarus floors, so really, it wouldn't be much of a problem, especially if he chose to get a job.

"Indeed! Those mysterious notes and coins which your world uses as tokens for the exchange of various goods and services." He realised at this moment that he'd been underestimating how weird the people in the Velvet Room could get. Igor was creepy, straight up, but he could deal with that. Elizabeth on the other hand, was weirdly prim, but fantastically naïve about what went on beyond the door to the Velvet Room.

…anyways, he gestured for her to continue. "There are so many possibilities sleeping within the sea of your soul that if you were to try holding onto all of them at once, you would likely become mad. Or at least, madder than usual!" Elizabeth was given a pointed look by Igor, which she immediately ignored. She cleared her throat. "Thus, you will need assistance to draw them out."

That answered his solitaire question at the very least. "And what do you use the money for, even…?"

Elizabeth thought for a moment. "Ah yes! I classify the use of this Persona compendium as a sort of service that you may need for your journey. Raising Personas which you receive from battle can be a tedious task and you likely won't have enough time to raise them, as far as the Dark Hour is concerned. This book, being as convenient and as much of a time saver as it is, should of course have a certain amount of compensation afforded to it."

He opened his mouth to respond. And closed it. "I-I see…"

Igor seemed about to speak, but Elizabeth stepped forward. "If I may, Minato-sama…" He was thoroughly surprised by her honorific. "I would like to observe your coveted Shadow compendium! I am very curious as to how it functions and would like to examine it!"

"Um, no thanks… I don't want people to touch my things, especially this," Minato replied.

She looked absolutely crestfallen. "Oh dear… Then I must take another approach…" Elizabeth murmured to herself before turning to Igor. "Oh, Master Igor! Would you permit a duel here?"

He just chuckled. "So long as you do not disturb the furniture." Igor's Cheshire cat impression grew even wider at the sight. There was something about this next battle and the bond that could form between them that absolutely intrigued him. After all, it could possibly bring his fellow resident closer to the sort of 'answer' she sought.

"Please, Minato-sama? I merely wish to sate some of my growing curiosity!" she exclaimed, eyes glittering with determination.

Minato rubbed the back of his head. "I guess… It can't hurt, if you're okay with it…?" He stood and put some distance between him and Elizabeth. He clutched his compendium tightly, not sure what to expect from the girl. Her weapons. How she fought. It was all a mystery.

"And do not worry about your injuries, Minato-sama! I shall heal any wounds after this is done." She gave him a gleaming smile. Before Minato could make a retort about the fight would end, her compendium _lifted_ into the air and cards circled around, mimicking the rings of Saturn.

Pure, unadulterated power overwhelmed him, like the gales of a hurricane. It swept over his skin, setting his teeth on edge and making every hair on his body stand on end. The sensation was a mix of nerves and excitement that broiled his mouth in a clean, crisp burn.

This fight would no doubt be different from the rest.

Minato raised his compendium and in a flash of red, a black form barrelled towards her, spinning with the wild force of a tornado. "I see!" She smiled and sidestepped, gracefully twirling away from the assault. "Apsaras, come aid me!" she chanted.

The corresponding card was crushed within the grip of her compendium. When it snapped shut, light plumes of energy released the form of a blue, female dancer. Chunks of ice encased the now braking Shadow, momentarily entombing it in cold.

"Break out," he whispered. Shards exploded in all directions, even at Elizabeth, revealing the form of the Rampage Drive within. Lashes of lightning accompanied the hail, staccato beats of buzzing electricity coursing towards Apsaras and Elizabeth.

She didn't dodge completely. Mazio was an area of effect spell, after all. Her shoulder was barely burned by the electricity. "Good, good!" Elizabeth seemed to grow more excited as she experienced the thrill of battle. "Angel, would you be a dear?" she asked, the blue light emanating from her compendium.

A humanoid Persona replaced Apsaras. She began buffeting the Rampage Drive with Garu spells from her wings, sending gusts of winds against it. With its superior strength, it spun through the wind's momentum and made Angel ground-borne by smashing it into the ground.

Elizabeth flinched from the impact, the destruction of that Persona having made ripples in the sea of her soul. "What exquisite control… Ara Mitama!" An angry, red magatama swirled out of blue mist and rapid fired shots of flame at the Rampage Drive. The Shadow gave out an earth shaking roar as the fire petered out, wearily eyeing Elizabeth and her companion. "Rakunda!"

Violet hazes fell over the Rampage Drive and Minato. He immediately felt its weakening effects. "Tch… Come back!" he whispered.

For a moment, Elizabeth marvelled at the tone of voice that Minato used, before stepping back into a ready position. The sight of the Rampage Drive was replaced with a knight and steed in gleaming, white armour. It raised its lance to the sky, gathering a tornado of bright, spiralling energy.

She gasped, clearly sensing the increase in power, golden eyes flickering with intrigue. "This Shadow is different…" Elizabeth murmured to herself.

Although unheard by Elizabeth, her assumption seemed to be confirmed as Minato spoke his orders: "Kishimaru, use Makarakarn!" He could feel his energy ebbing away as some of it was siphoned by his Shadow companion to partially fuel the spell. A golden mirror appeared just behind her, certainly intriguing her. Of course, she knew that she couldn't attack it without caution, which made her wonder what Minato was planning.

Minato leaped towards Elizabeth, commanding Kishimaru to use a Garudyne. This was where she realised that there was one great advantage to commanding Shadows: The host could easily move independently of the chosen Shadow without wasting his attention on controlling it.

His leg went swinging in the air towards her, which she deflected with a well-placed block of her book. Minato smirked ever so slightly.

Kishimaru galloped towards the Ara Mitama, which merely hovered in place. Elizabeth barely gave it a split second's notice before being able to dispel it. Destroying yet another Persona wouldn't bode well for her concentration, after all. However, Minato's compendium went smack into her ribs, having caught her off guard. Elizabeth was grounded, the blow forcing her feet across the carpet.

As she righted herself, there was the faint shattering of glass followed by the deafening rumble of galloping winds. Elizabeth barely anticipated the attack and had even less time to react. The cyclone drove gashes into her back and sides, staining her clothes in a messy coagulation of black and red.

Despite the wounds covering her form, she smiled and stood as if she'd never been hit in the first place. "My word, that was simply marvellous! I really do admire your current prowess."

Minato wasn't sure how to feel about her compliments. Partially because he was trying to hide his face, which was flushed red with embarrassment. He'd… never heard someone praise his fighting style this much before… Not that he'd start blubbering with happiness, of course. Probably.

"That and… I find your ability absolutely fascinating," Elizabeth continued, closing the distance between the two of them.

His eyes widened. Not a set of words he ever expected. "Anyways, you appear to be tired."

And you appear to be fine. Minato bit back such a response.

"You aren't hurt anywhere?" she asked, looking him up and down.

Minato shook his head fervently. "M-My spirit en-energy though…"

She nodded to herself. "Yes! This is a perfect opportunity!" Minato was taken aback by her surge of excitement. "I shall list this as a type of request." He blinked in confusion. "Yes! You see, I have a near insatiable curiosity for the workings of the human world and would like to learn more about you as a fellow human, and of course, as a guest of the Velvet Room.

"Therefore, I have many requests which I can issue to you. By completing them, I will give you rewards in appreciation of your effort, and to help you on your journey," she explained.

Oh. Oh! That… That was also useful! Minato nodded in understanding.

"For this request, I will give you these four Chewing Souls. They should help you." He was handed a velvet blue pouch with some sort of blue, chewy, candy-like substances inside. Minato cautiously pulled apart the drawstring and reached inside for one of them. "If you ingest them, spiritual energy will diffuse throughout your body and replenish your reserves," she explained.

And he felt just that, to his relief. "I-I… thanks," Minato murmured.

"You are welcome! That is what people in your world say, is it not?" She smiled to herself. "If you have any need for the services of the compendium or if you would like to take on any requests of mine, please just come and ask away!"

As she skipped back to her place next to Igor, Minato felt a powerful surge of energy awaken within him, piping warm, liquid euphoria through his veins. It was much more noticeable than the one that he encountered with SEES. That was assuming that they were the same thing.

Igor chuckled. "Splendid… You truly are an intriguing guest…" He opened his eyes. "I have one last thing to explain to you which will greatly benefit the growth of your Personas.

"They are what we call Social Links…" Minato already didn't like the sound of that. "By spending time with people around you, you will be able to find and strengthen certain bonds. By strengthening bonds, you may grant extra power to your Personas whilst in the process of fusion."

He pursed his lips in thought. Where those the bursts of power that he'd experienced after the meeting with SEES and… just then? "You may identify them by a sort of… euphoric rush of power. For example, I believe you may have established such a link with Elizabeth here…"

Minato's eyes widened, staring at Elizabeth. With her? He wasn't sure what to feel about it. It wasn't like he disliked Elizabeth. Far from, actually. Minato did think that she was a bit kooky in some ways, but… this was the kindest anyone had been to his Shadow whispering ability to date. He was torn between pushing her away, but he knew that he'd inevitably have to contact her if he wanted to use the compendium or if he wanted to take on requests. For now, he said nothing of the sort. "I see…"

"A Social Link with Minato-sama?" She smiled, clearly proud. "I look forward to further meetings with you."

"R-Right. Is that… it?"

He hummed in affirmation. "Yes… Until such a time you need our services once again."

With a short, hesitant wave, Minato left the Velvet Room.

Igor turned to Elizabeth. "I am… surprised by your course of action, Elizabeth. You remember that we are not always to interfere in our guest's destiny and I believe that you are not treading that line… But you should be careful, in future," he warned. Although his words were stern, there was something about his grin which felt different. Less eerie. A tinge of concern, perhaps.

"A-Ah." She bowed deeply. "I am afraid that my curiosity had taken such a firm grip on me. I could not resist testing him so!"

He nodded. "Indeed, Elizabeth. We of the Velvet Room continually search for answers to questions which may be unanswerable on a large scale. But I hope that this experience with our newest guest will enrich your understanding of the nature of our existences…" Igor closed his eyes, seemingly in thought of his own master. "And mine, too."

"Of course, Master Igor." Elizabeth couldn't help but smile at the thought. "I do hope for his continued success with absolute fervour! With further success comes further truths. With further truths, there is fuel for further success."

My, his Elizabeth was growing so fast. Again, Igor let out a small chuckle. "Indeed…" What would come to evolve in future and what would result from those changes? There was only a need to watch… and learn.

…

His head was in a whirl thinking about his experiences in the Velvet Room. Really, could he be blamed? Minato still seemed absentminded as he entered the dormitory's lobby.

There, on the couch, was Mitsuru. "Welcome back," she greeted. Mitsuru noticed his response, which seemed farther away than usual. "Is there something on your mind?"

"Yeah."

She furrowed her brow. "Is there… anything I can help you with?" Mitsuru was confident, no doubt. Sure of herself. But there was just something a bit off about talking with her antisocial junior.

Eventually, he nodded. "Yeah, I need to… go out. During the Dark Hour. To get something."

"To Tartarus, or…? What exactly are you trying to find?"

"It's a Shadow."

"You make it sound like you're trying to find a Pokemon." Junpei laughed as he strode past the conversation.

Minato grimaced at Junpei's mention of the game. "I'll go to Tartarus in two days," he added.

This was an invaluable opportunity. "I will allow it, but only if you let me monitor your movements. If something happens to you, I will be able to mobilise the team just in case," Mitsuru replied. "I need to know what is involved in this private operation and I don't approve of you going out alone when it's so dangerous…"

He shrugged.

"Hey senpai, do me and Yuka-tan have to come along too?" Junpei asked.

Mitsuru turned sharply towards Minato. "If you must," he replied. "It shouldn't take that long. You might get bored."

Well, it certainly didn't sound like Minato was insulting his attention span. "Ah man, I need the extra sleep…"

"And Takeba?"

"If she wants to." Mitsuru's glare told him to give him a more exact answer. "I prefer to go it alone. The Shadows have less chance of getting scared off if there's only one person."

She sighed. "Alright. I'll notify the others and they can come for backup if you need it. Meet me at the command room just before midnight."

With that, Minato headed to his room.

Junpei turned towards Mitsuru. "So… he gets to go out and look for Shadows, huh?" He barely disguised his bitter tone.

"Yes. Apparently to add to his arsenal, he collects Shadows. By having more Shadows, he will have more access to skills to make him more useful in battle," Mitsuru explained. "I do not know the details to this, which will make monitoring his situation a critical matter."

He sighed. "Alright, alright…" It wasn't like he was looking to disrespect his senior, especially when it was someone as scary as Kirijo-senpai.

"Now… are you not going to study? While we have Tartarus as a priority, I cannot have my team members neglecting their school lives either," Mitsuru said pointedly, making Junpei flinch under her glare.

Junpei's eyes wildly searched for an exit. "Ah! Yeah! I've got… uh… trig to do!" He bolted for his room.

Mitsuru sighed to herself. She wished she knew more about the nature of Arisato's abilities. Just having to do with Shadows made him suspicious. She also suspected that it wouldn't be easy to build any trust between him and the team. Her attention was refocused onto her book. Rest for now. It was going to be a late night, after all.

Meanwhile, Minato gathered his supplies to go searching for the Shadow he'd purified not long ago. What was his name? His abilities? His appearance? What about his personality? Hopefully he'd be a good companion just like his Intrepid Knight Shadow, Kishimaru.

He was once the Shadow of a boy that he'd befriended before going to live with his relatives. He was a shy, introverted child and those qualities probably drew the two together. This was especially so, as Minato often talked away bullies who wanted to pick on the reticent boy. The bond that he had with him didn't last as long as he would've liked when he moved, but his Shadow that he had purified had stayed with him and grown stronger ever since he found it.

The deeper a Shadow was, the more powerful it was. The easier it was to make them lose control. Those that grew powerful enough consumed their hosts. They either killed themselves or went insane…

After being given a communicator, he set off, following his gut instinct. It had never failed once before. For some reason, he was drawn to the presences of purified Shadows and was able to find them that way. This time, it was coming from the Iwatodai Strip Mall.

Unnerving atmosphere weighed on him, but Minato couldn't let it slow him down. After all, he didn't want another Shadow attack. He dug out his compendium and summoned his usual partner. "You've summoned me again, Minato? What now?"

"Walking."

Kishimaru chuckled. "Lazy, as always." Still, he let Minato on. "Are you looking for another friend?"

Minato nodded.

"This'll be exciting…" Kishimaru laughed, his steed starting off at a gallop. "There are many Shadows here, aren't there?" he commented.

"There _is_ a nest of Shadows here."

After some minutes, Kishimaru's horse clattered to a stop.

"Hello?" Minato called in whispers.

Hordes of Shadows squirmed to Minato's location, attempting to surround him and his companion. "Save your energy," he told Kishimaru. Although surprised, the Intrepid Knight did as he was told.

He pointed his Evoker to his head. Was it wrong not to feel much of anything but a _twinge_ of stress when he had the fake gun propped against his temple? Anyways, he called, "Angel."

Her wings flapped, triggering swirls of wind which blew the Shadow packs into the road and walls of the stores. Minato identified them as types of Mayas and Books, which meant they were easier fry. "This is different. I didn't know you could summon such things by pointing that fake implement to your head," Kishimaru commented, seemingly amused.

"I don't get it either," Minato admitted, getting ready to summon once more. Angel's form dissipated, swapping with Orpheus's. "Agi," he intoned. The Persona responded with a gleam in his eyes.

As the Shadows came crawling back, Orpheus strummed his harp. With each bar, a Shadow was alight with flames that ate away at their flesh. "Ah, Minato. I sense a non-hostile Shadow nearing," Kishimaru warned.

Orpheus finished off the remaining Shadows, letting Minato turn his attention to the new power source. As it got closer, he heard what he thought was the revving of an engine and crackling flames.

It was a Brave Wheel: Chariot Arcana, attributed to fire and physical attacks. His body was a wheel and he had a lion head on the front for a face. Minato breathed out a sigh of relief. He knew that these types of Shadows were fairly tough. "Hey, have I seen you somewhere before?" the Brave Wheel asked. "In fact, aren't you the guy that helped me at the mall?"

"Yeah… what's your name?" Minato asked.

"My name's Sho Tsuyo. I honestly never thought I'd see you again." If it could smile, it would've.

"I'm Minato. This is Kishimaru, and he's kinda like… my partner," Minato explained.

"Nice to meet you." Kishimaru bowed his head.

"Nice to meet you too." Sho nodded. "Anyways, why are you guys here? It's dangerous."

"You said you wanted to repay me. How's about now?"

Without any hesitation, Sho gave an "Of course."

"I…" Minato looked up at Kishimaru. "I'm trying to get stronger, so I can find out something that's important to me. There's going to be a lot of trouble on the way."

"You need help fighting?" Sho asked, earning a nod. "That's no problem. I just… how do I go with you?"

Minato pulled out his compendium. "If I put you in here, would that work? You just have to turn into a page."

"I understand." His form compressed into a black page, made to fit into Minato's compendium. Like attracting magnets, the leaf stuck firmly in. "You have a lot of Shadows, Minato."

"Yeah… Thanks for joining me."

"It's nothing, seriously."

"It seems we have a new friend," Kishimaru noted. "We should go back…" Just as he was about to read his steed, he halted. "Wait. I feel someone else's presence…"

Minato blinked, finally getting a feel for that mystery person. It was a human… She had no Persona, but he could feel something of a mysterious dark aura emanating from her.

He heard whispers.

* * *

**Edited: 06/04/16**

**AN: Things might get a wonky here with what I revised. Things will be inconsistent from here on out while I'm editing the chapters, so if things aren't homogenous all the way through, that's why. Anyways, I really like this new chapter and interaction with Elizabeth and I hope you think it's cool too. It's probably the largest deviation I've taken thus far, so Minato and Elizabeth may act differently in the chapters I haven't edited yet.**

**And holy shit, this just got miles longer. I apologise. I kinda wonder in these revisions whether I'm stripping away what drew people to this in the first place, but I'm here to exercise Rule of Cool, make sense and make things easier for me. Sorry!**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	7. Fickle Fortune

Her voice was cool and smooth even when she whispered, like listening to piano on the blues. "You've been fighting them, haven't you?" It cut through the eerie weight of the Dark Hour, clear. Precise.

Minato opened his mouth to speak, but had no words. He only nodded, having lost his ability to communicate coherently. "And you can talk to the Shadows, right?" She looked up at the Intrepid Knight just behind him. "I haven't heard or met another Shadow whisperer before…"

"M-Me neither," he stammered. First, someone that was interested and not in the least bit mistrustful of his power. Second, someone that had the same ability as him.

"My name is Sachiko Kagami. I go to Gekkoukan High School," she introduced. "I'd assume you are as well, from your uniform?"

He gave yet another nod, speechless at her meticulousness. "Minato Arisato…" Truthfully, he wasn't sure whether she was someone to be trusted, but he couldn't help but want to know more about her. After all, it wasn't every day that you met someone with the same abilities as you.

She seemed to think the same, her flat expression silently scrutinising his. "I see… I have to go now. Perhaps we'll see each other at school." Sachiko brushed past him, not stopping to apologise. It was still just enough time to see she had a smile.

Truthfully, he hoped that they would. If she knew more about their Shadow whispering ability, Sachiko could become a useful source of information. Perhaps he'd get a purified Shadow out of talking to her as well.

After reassuring Kishimaru that there was nothing wrong, the two of them made their ways back to the dorm. He approached the fourth floor, just to make sure Mitsuru hadn't died (read: fallen asleep).

Indeed, she was still awake, but struggling to be alert. "Arisato, welcome back," Mitsuru greeted. "The trip was successful, I assume?" He nodded in response. "Alright. I will require you to tell me more of the details tomorrow. I believe that we both need some rest."

To be honest, he couldn't agree more. "Good night." She gave him one last formality before striding to her room.

Of course she'd want to know, huh? Minato rubbed his eyes. Yeah, he was struggling to keep awake. As he wandered back to his room, he pondered the chances of asking Mitsuru for an mp3 player and a clock that functioned in the Dark Hour.

In another corner of town, a girl with long, lavender hair slipped past her father's coffin form into her room. She brushed off the specks of dirt from her crisp, black coat, taking care to flatten out any noticeable creases as she hung it. She removed a Moleskine from her pant pocket, marvelling for a moment at its good condition despite how well-worn it was.

Sachiko had been surprisingly proliferous when it came to the amount of information that she'd been forced to gather for that year. There were far more 'strange' goings-on than any other year thus far.

Once at her study table, she silently ticked off the information that had been corroborated by the Shadows, hunched intently over the words. Indeed, Sachiko neared a growing need for sleep, but she wanted to consolidate everything. It was a well-used fact that you remembered things better when you did them just before going to sleep.

As her final note was written, her pen paused. Perhaps she should make a note of the other person that she'd met that night as well.

Minato Arisato: a boy who attended Gekkoukan High School (as evidenced by his uniform) with the ability to communicate with and had apparently allied himself with Shadows. He also had the strange ability to summon different types of ethereal beings which were able to combat hostile Shadows.

From that alone, her curiosity was piqued, and she hadn't even learned any of his past or of his personality. In terms of personality, she'd perhaps gathered that he was, perhaps, a shy individual from his short responses and his stuttering. His terrible posture (Minato had a very noticeable slouch) also alluded to such a conclusion, although she couldn't quite confirm it then.

Speaking subjectively, he gave off a strange aura that resonated within her like two bells' harmonious chimes. It made her… less on edge, Sachiko supposed. At the time, she chalked it up to his impressive and intriguing ability to fight Shadows, which helped assure herself with a semblance of safety. His display, lightly built frame and supernatural abilities attested to this. She herself didn't have much to defend herself with except some rudimentary self-defence and a gun.

Sachiko sighed. It seemed that there was a new mystery afoot. Instead of feeling some dull sense of obligation, however, she felt a little excited. Of course, she'd still have to prioritise her usual work, but seeing him again with the prospect of gathering information about his various abilities would certainly be a highlight.

After following this train of thought, she readied herself to sleep and lay upon her bed. Sachiko closed her eyes, urging her brain to calm down with thoughts of that strange meeting. Sleep did not come easy, or soon.

…

Minato's chin was already on the desk when Yukari entered homeroom. "Uh Minato-kun? You look even deader than usual," she commented. "Was it because of… that errand?"

There was no making the same mistake twice. If she'd said something like 'was it because of what happened last night' the rumour mill would probably implode from every single implication that she didn't mean. 'Errand' had less chances for another innuendo.

He looked up at her, dark eye bags weighing down his bottom lids. "Yeah…" Minato sighed.

"I see… How'd it go?" Yukari asked, however hesitantly.

A loud, drawn out groan erupted from the bag of bones sprawled across his table. "Can I tell you later…?" His voice came out muffled through his arms.

Yukari opened her mouth… and closed it. "You know what? That's probably a good idea…"

As she walked back to her table, she was accosted by none other than Junpei. "Yo, Yuka-tan. What's up with him?" he asked. "He looks kiiiinda dead."

"I dunno. Aside from that trip last night, I really don't know what's made him so tired. He didn't look like this the last time that we were… _there_… You know?" She sighed, taking her seat. "But anyways, he said he'd fill us in later. Probably for the best."

Unbeknownst to the two, Minato had actually been thinking so hard that he just… wasn't able to get any sleep. Just because you closed your eyes didn't mean that you went to sleep, after all. His brain was wired with all sorts of thoughts and they simply kept him technically awake for a long while. It really ate into his usual sleeping time.

Throughout the rest of the lessons, Toriumi-sensei had called upon a few people to answer her questions. He barely registered her complaining to some kid named Kenji, who apparently had been falling asleep. As a result, he wasn't paying attention. He was told to buy her strawberry shortcake to her the next day to appease her.

It begged the question as to why Minato was being exempted from her wrath, which that same Kenji had asked him before leaving school.

A few moments later, a familiar, lavender haired girl trailed in, looking amusedly at Minato's half-asleep form sprawled across his table. "So, Minato-san." As Sachiko spoke, the remaining people in the classroom stared at the two of them. He struggled to meet her gaze. "Isako Toriumi may in fact", she lowered her voice, "have a crush on you."

He sat up straight. Definitely awake now. "But… why…?" Minato's eyes widened in horror.

She stepped back and shrugged. "…Hell if I know."

Did that teacher know what she was getting into if she really _did_ like him? It wasn't even because of the horrifyingly wide age gap. He'd never been in and never had intentions to be in a relationship. "Anyways… what do you want?"

"To talk."

Minato pursed his lips. Right. He'd… actually wanted to do the same thing. "When and where?"

Sachiko folded her arms. "After school tomorrow. Hagakure Ramen. Is that fine?"

"Y-Yeah…" He hadn't made plans to hang out with someone in a really long time.

After giving him a curt nod, she left the classroom. "Wow. Never thought you of all people would start scoring." He turned towards the voice. Oh. Junpei. "Minato Arisato, and the mysterious Sachiko Kagami of class 2D, detective extraordinaire…"

Minato blinked. "Detective?"

"Yeah… If there's anything Sachiko-san's known for, it's her beauty, enigmatic charm, and her smarts, which she uses to solve cases," Junpei explained. "There's tons of rumours floating around about her, but she uh… she usually keeps to herself, if you know what I mean?"

"Please don't ship us."

He gave him his trademark grin. "Hey, don't worry, ol' Junpei ol' pal's got ya covered." Junpei whistled. "So hey. What were you two talking about? C'mon. Dirt please."

Should he be honest? After a moment, Minato murmured, "She… wanted to talk to me about the Dark Hour…"

"W-Wait, seriously?" There went his new crack ship. "You don't think she's…"

Minato shrugged. "I don't know."

"Man… That would be hella interesting…"

However begrudgingly, Minato walked back with Junpei to the dorm. In the lobby was Mitsuru, sitting and reading something on the couch, as per usual. Yukari was in the dining area, tapping away at her phone. "Welcome back," Mitsuru greeted.

Minato gave a nod before sliding down into another couch. Yukari and Junpei also sat down, seemingly ready for Minato to divulge what exactly happened the night before. "Your report?"

"I went to Iwatodai Strip Mall… and I was attacked at first by some hostile Shadows, but I managed to fight them off," he started. His lack of enthusiasm was exceedingly obvious. "After that, I found a Brave Wheel Shadow and I told him that he could 'repay a debt' by protecting me and helping me fight."

"H-How'd you find where that one Shadow was?" Yukari asked. There was certainly a vast amount of Shadows in the city, after all.

He pursed his lips in thought. How to explain… "These particular Shadows are a bit… different. You know how being near a Shadow that wants to kill you sorta hits you in the face?"

Junpei narrowed his eyes. "You mean that like… 'It's emanating vast amounts of killing intent!' kind of feeling?" He'd deepened his voice for dramatic effect. Yukari suppressed a groan.

"Yeah. That. The Shadows I'm after don't feel like that." Minato opened his mouth to continue. Should he really say this next part? "To describe it I guess… T-They… feel kinda more like Personas… To me. And somehow, I really don't know how, I can sense the aura of that kind of Shadow."

Mitsuru furrowed her brow in thought. Persona-like Shadows? "I see… What do you mean by 'repaying a debt'?"

He sighed. "Okay so… I can talk to people's Shadows not just during the Dark Hour. I can also do it during the day. People don't notice when I do except if they're really close to me," Minato tried explaining next. "If I can talk to a person's Shadow during the day and help… I guess… sort out their problems, they become what I call, 'Purified Shadows'. The Persona-like Shadows."

Geez… If Minato was playing nice psychiatrist for someone's Shadow, why didn't he do that for normal people?

"I understand. May I see the Shadow?"

Minato blinked, but eventually handed her the book, flipping open to the page. "It's a list on his skills, resistances and weaknesses."

A pair of dark red eyes stared up at Mitsuru, not with hostility, but with curiosity. Some low hissing, like beached waves, emanated from the compendium. "Ooh, who's looking at me? She's fairly attractive, although nothing compared to my friend…"

He pinched the bridge of his nose. 'Friend'.

"I've never seen such a form of writing before," Mitsuru thought aloud. The Kirijo database could be called an authority on Shadows, but she never imagined that there would be a form of writing as well. It could very well have been something that he'd devised, however. Truly, Arisato brought up more questions every day. She could only hope that he'd put this ability to good use.

Yukari snuck a peek at the page, catching sight of the orbs of red darting around the page. "Uh, is it… looking at us?"

Minato looked blankly at the compendium. "Yeah. Sho says 'hi'." She and Junpei stared at him. They had names? "And… He's excited because you guys are looking at him," he explained with a sigh. "Oh, and he's complimenting everyone on their appearance. And he's getting embarrassed from all the attention…

"In fact, he says he's getting stage fright." Yukari groaned at the pun, glaring daggers at Minato. "Don't kill the messenger."

"…All jokes aside, thank you for showing me." She handed the book back to Minato. "Did anything else of interest happen?"

Minato shook his head. He had half a mind to say anything about Sachiko, but he wasn't going to get her into this group's hair with a whole 'do you have a Persona' inquisition or something. "Not that you wouldn't have seen."

"Alright. Tell me if you need to go out for business during the Dark Hour which doesn't include Tartarus. If it suits you, you can even bring other team members along to help you. In fact, I'd prefer that, but it's your call," Mitsuru said.

"I'll see." He highly doubted he'd need their help, but left it ambiguous. Minato gave a half-hearted goodbye before he went upstairs.

Yukari seemed unsettled by what she'd just witnessed in regards to the Shadows. "That… His book and the Shadows… They kinda creep me out," she admitted, more to Junpei than their senior, who'd gone back to reading.

"It is… Pretty weird," Junpei agreed. "It's so weird seeing Minato talk to the Shadows! It's almost like they're…"

"People."

Mitsuru looked up at the two's discussion. "In their natural forms, Shadows are still the ones responsible for the cases of Apathy Syndrome however and are out to kill us. Do not forget that."

"U-Uh, right. Of course!" Junpei laughed nervously.

…

He was never interested in any of the sports clubs that were available at his schools. There was tennis, swimming, track, kendo, archery, aikido, boxing… All kinds of things.

Minato chalked it up to laziness on his part.

Instead, he was at Hagakure, the clamour of clinks, clangs and noodle slurping welcoming to the shop. "Hello." Sachiko greeted as Minato sat next to her. "I need to eat first." She indicated the steaming bowl in front of her.

He decided to order some food to pass the time as well. Minato wasn't enthusiastic about ordering any ramen since the soup burned his tongue and got into his wounds, if he had any. Sachiko seemed to be taking her time. "So… When did you start talking to Shadows?"

"A decade ago," he replied. "You?"

Sachiko raised an eyebrow at his answer. "Eight years ago." So it was almost the same amount of time. "Do you talk to Shadows and enlist their help as protection from other Shadows in the… whatever you call it. I saw that large one when I met you, but it wasn't hostile."

"Y-Yeah… It's called the Dark Hour."

"Dark Hour, huh?" She supposed that the name suited the time. "I'll make a note of that…"

"What were you doing?"

She pursed her lips as she formulated an answer. "I'm from a long line of detectives. The Kagami Agency," Sachiko replied. "We aren't very well known since it's family run and it's usually peaceful around here. I talk to Shadows to gather information for cases."

Minato could agree with that methodology. Rational Shadows could be invaluable sources of information sometimes. "I am also the only one in my family with the ability to talk to those monsters."

"I don't think it's supposed to be common," he murmured.

Sachiko smirked. "You almost sound torn up about it."

Minato couldn't help but snort at her sarcasm. "Yeah. I'm assuming we learned how to do it on our own," he said. His smile faded at the thought of his mistakes. Those were unpleasant memories.

She agreed. "I've never seen someone become friendly with another Shadow before, however. How?"

"Talk to Shadows during the day. If I solve their problems, they get 'purified'. That way they become less hostile," Minato explained shortly.

She hummed to herself. "Interesting, although not necessarily something I'd see myself doing." Sachiko gently placed her chopsticks across the side of the bowl, taking care to straighten them. "I'm sorry. I need to cut this meeting short, since I have some business to attend to. Do you have a phone?"

"O-Oh. Right." After exchanging numbers, she left, and as she left, Minato felt a pleasant warmth engulf his chest like heat diffusing from flame. Was it another Social Link or something?

He sighed, deciding to brush it off. If it was, it was. Minato slurped up his noodles.

* * *

**Edited: 08/04/16**

**AN: Hey guys! My advice would be not to think of this as a shipping fic. The relationships that Minato has with other characters and the dynamics that occur as a result only serve to push the story forward. So no spoilers, but the romances (and friendships!) are mostly devices to help the characters grow.**

**Or my indecisiveness led me to taking off the ship brackets because I really am not focusing on fluff or anything like that. Haha.**

**Uh thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter. I Sho hope it was a good one. :3c**


	8. Missing Sympathy

"Wait."

"W-What happened?" Yukari stammered.

Minato pursed his lips, staring straight ahead. "Strong Shadows ahead. Guard up and be careful."

Junpei rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say leader…"

In the centre of the next floor was a group of three Shadows that neither Junpei nor Yukari recognised. They had large, eagle-like forms and pink masks where their heads should've been. Minato narrowed his eyes and beckoned the two closer to the Shadows. "Why aren't you attacking us?" he asked. Indeed, they only seemed to be waiting.

The three continued upwards. Just as Minato had said, there was a group of Shadow that neither Junpei nor Yukari recognised. "Is that…?" she stammered.

"I think so." Minato beckoned the two over. They were Venus Eagles, if he was remembering that right. Each bird was about two-thirds the size of an average person, with pink masks where their heads were, and probably just a little stronger than Junpei and Yukari.

He expected some thrashing in their general direction, but they were perfectly still, merely watching the team. "Why aren't you attacking us?" he whispered.

Minato had expected that they'd try thrashing about in their direction, but they were perfectly stationary as they stared the team down. "Why aren't you attacking us?" he whispered.

"We must guard the passage," one of them answered. "Test the desecrators. A fair battle we shall have. We will being once you are ready."

Junpei laughed. "The hell did you just say?"

He shrugged. "I asked them why they weren't attacking us. Apparently they want a 'fair fight' so they're letting us get ready first." Minato closed his eyes. "So?"

"I was born ready!" Again, with his trademark grin.

He turned towards Yukari. She nodded back. "Yeah. We can do this." It might've sounded like encouragement for the team, but it was mostly to reassure her.

"Okay. Surround them like always. Mitsuru-senpai, scan them," he commanded. Minato then turned back to the Shadows, whispering with a smirk, "I don't appreciate being called a desecrator."

One of them just threw back their head, as if in laughter and swept a blast of wind. Taking it as a taunt, he grinned back and opened his compendium to Kishimaru's page, where the Garu spell petered out against.

Yukari growled. They were just moving all over the place! "Hey guys, I can't get a clear shot!" she called.

Metal whistled through the air. A Venus Eagle flapped away from Junpei's katana, unleashing Garu blades as it backed off. The wind slammed into him, forcing open deep cuts across his chest and torso.

"Junpei!" Yukari gritted her teeth, now trailing the bird's trajectory. "Please hit…" she murmured. Her arrow cut through the sound of battle. It buried itself in Shadow flesh. A ripping squelch. Ichor spray.

She breathed out a sigh of relief as the Venus Eagle fell twitching onto the floor, burbling with black blood with every spasm. Just to be sure, Yukari planted another arrow in it. A screech shattered the air before the Shadow exploded in a shower of gore.

"Venus Eagles of the Empress Arcana. They specialise in Wind attacks," Mitsuru informed.

Yukari sighed as she attended to Junpei, summoning Io. "We couldn't tell…" she muttered. The Dia spell began knitting together his wounds. "Feel better?" Yukari asked, checking on how Minato was doing.

After a while, Junpei was able to respond. "Y-Yeah. I don't want to get hit by that again," he groaned.

"Green Wall!" was his response to Mitsuru. A green haze descended upon the team, coating them in hexagonal shapes of a shield. Hopefully Junpei and Yukari would be able to pick up the pace after that.

Minato did indeed have a strategy. First, block the Eagles' attacks. Just by opening up his book to the right page, the Garu spells were completely nullified. When they saw that it was his book being the trouble, they'd tried to knock it out of his hands with their claws. The problem with that was that Minato was surprisingly nimble. He managed to counter their swooping motions with some sidesteps and some leg manoeuvring. He was dancing circles around them.

It appeared that they weren't smart enough to combine swooping and Garu spells to catch him off guard, but now, even getting hit by one of them wouldn't feel much more than a sort of menacing breeze. "Can you guys finish them off?" he asked.

"Tch… Stuck up little…" Junpei stood and summoned Hermes. His Persona charged towards one of the eagles. Without enough time to react to Hermes's incoming attack, its outstretched wings cut into the flesh of the Venus Eagle.

Ichor spilled onto the floor in a mixture of globs and fine sprays. Its feathers and body followed, thudding with a wet squelch as it writhed on the floor. "Okay. Yukari-san?" Minato sighed to himself, wondering how he could make it easier for her to aim. Ah, if he did so in a pattern…

As he heard the whoosh of the Venus Eagle attempting to strike him, Minato stepped to his right, careful not to trip on the other downed Shadow that Junpei was now finishing off with his katana.

Yukari watched with her arrowhead as Minato circled, continuously sidestepping or deflecting the Eagle's attacks. She needed to focus… Her heart pounded in her ears, slowly calming as her eyes… No, her whole body homed in on the moving target. They were always the hardest. Her trembling slowly subsided.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

She could make out the pattern that Minato moved in: It was a simple circular motion, but each time, the Venus Eagle swooped past him.

Minato's eyes widened as he saw the claws brush right over his chest. He hissed in annoyance as the claws met his uniform and grazed his chest, creating superficial, but still bleeding wounds.

On the exhale, the arrow whizzed through the air. It shredded right through the Shadow, leaving jets of ichor in its wake.

"Don't insult me again…" Minato recovered and bashed his compendium into its back, breaking up its wings as if it were a young child's plaything before everything left of the Shadows dissipated into black and red mist.

He was glad that he didn't resort to using his more powerful Shadows to fight them. They could easily take care of them, but the Shadows (a bit less so with the Purified Shadows, but taxing nevertheless because of their spiritual energy's expenses) relied on amplifying their magic using his own power.

The bleeding and coughing that followed as a result of his taunting was totally worth it, however. He put up a thumbs up while he spat out the blood that had built up in his mouth. Neither of them had gotten too injured, although they'd have to say it had been their toughest fight as a team thus far.

"Heh, looks like it wasn't a problem at all!" Junpei exclaimed, despite having trouble keeping up his triumphant grin.

Mitsuru herself, also had a satisfied smile on her. "You all did very well. The Dark Hour will be ending soon. You should all head back and get some rest. No doubt you're tired."

He nodded, waiting for Junpei and Yukari near the access point after having picked up the loot from the floor and the defeated Shadows. "Minato-kun? Are you hurt anywhere?" She'd managed to catch him spitting out the blood. Yukari hadn't ever seen him hurt but it never hurt to ask.

Minato immediately regretted laughing at Yukari's question as he coughed a mixture of watery blood into his hand. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine."

"W-Wait." Yukari put her Evoker to her head, summoning Io to give off a healing glow. First to Minato, then to Junpei and herself.

He breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thanks Yuka-tan!" Junpei grinned.

Minato sighed. The wounds just never healed. Everything else? Sure. The rest of his body felt lighter. But no matter what he did, he could never heal them using Dia or otherwise. While Yukari had healed him earlier on their trip, he never felt its effects. When he performed it on himself, it also didn't work. It was as if there was a force keeping them open that wanted him to suffer for using his ability. "It won't work. But thanks anyways."

"Oh… Why doesn't it?" she asked.

He shook his head, heading back down to the lobby after a gratuitous amount of vertigo and being pulled across the fabric of space-time itself.

Yukari sighed. Well, she _tried_. He either didn't know, or was being an asshole. She couldn't tell which this time.

Minato glared at the access point, accusing it of the freefall sensation that had been trying to punch his guts out. "Are you alright?" Mitsuru asked. Akihiko was less sympathetic, trying not to chuckle at Minato's apparent ire for the device.

He gave her a so-so motion with his hand as the rest of the team joined in.

"I-I don't think I can go to Tartarus tomorrow," Yukari said weakly.

"Yeah, I'm kinda beat up. But we made some progress, right?" Junpei smiled a little, trying to lighten the mood.

Mitsuru seemed to agree. "It would be best. I'd advice not burning yourself out. This is important, but it needs to be in moderation for now. You'll adapt later on. According to my scans on that device, it can be used to send you back to that floor where you fought the floor guardians."

He nodded. "Okay. We can go again after you're all rested. Is that okay?"

"Actually, Arisato… While your _apparent_ dedication is a stellar asset to our exploration of Tartarus, I think it would be better if you spaced apart the Tartarus trips so that your teammates will be able to get rest and be able to socialise," she suggested. Minato sighed. He supposed, but he was going to forego the socialising part. "I'm sure you're all aware that we must still balance our school lives along with this commitment. I believe some of us may have to study…" Mitsuru gave a pointed look to Junpei.

Well, if Mitsuru was going to be breathing down his neck for something like that, he _supposed_ he had to do something. "Right…"

Junpei laughed nervously. "Uh yeah! T-Trig!" He was screwed, of course.

Yukari sighed at the two's antics. Mostly Junpei. "Fine."

"Good."

…

"Amazing. You two performed a task that most students would be able to do with ease:

"Stay awake during class."

Sachiko received Minato and Junpei's flat look with a chuckle. Apparently he'd come along just to see what they were talking about and to get more information on what the hell their abilities were like. "Anyways, I guess both of you know that I'm a detective… I've been investigating a certain case lately. The one everyone'd been calling the apathy killings." She briefly muttered about how stupid a name it was.

Lo and behold, Junpei recognised it. To be honest, he'd come because he wanted to get some scope on why Minato's tongue started bleeding, but this was good too. "I've heard about those. People've been saying that it's because of some government conspiracy bioweapon or something. Or the Illuminati. I dunno."

"I have to say I'm not sitting in those camps," she replied. "I use my Shadow whispering ability to gather information on the cases. Some hearsay along with my investigative skills can go a long way."

Minato furrowed his brow. "How is this relevant?"

She bit at her noodles before replying, "I talked to a few Shadows and apparently they said that they were told to attack the victims." Junpei's eyes widened. "But unlike Apathy Syndrome where the victims enter a vegetative state, they devour their psyches to such a point that it results in death."

Junpei's mouth was agape. "Really…? Uh, I don't think it's you guys, so does that mean that there are other Shadow whisperers out there?"

Sachiko chuckled. "You catch on surprisingly fast. It's a higher likelihood than anything else I've considered, which is why I'm trying to find the people behind it," she replied.

"Wow… Good luck," he mumbled. "Say, what is it like talking to Shadows?"

She looked upon him curiously, as did Minato. "I don't talk to them enough to make a solid judgement. It's mostly like talking to another person in the day. The difference is that their personalities are a bit warped, but otherwise…" Sachiko shrugged, turning to Minato, figuring that he'd probably have a better answer.

He pursed his lips. "They listen to me and they owe me debts sometimes…" Minato tried avoiding any sign of emotional attachment to the Shadows as he spoke.

"You didn't exactly answer his question," Sachiko pointed out.

Minato sighed. To be honest, he wasn't sure. Did he like talking to them, or didn't he? "To be honest, I don't know how I feel about them," he replied.

"What the hell kinda answer's that?" Junpei blinked.

Sachiko hummed to herself. "Maybe it's too personal to divulge?"

"…To purify Shadows, I have to make them accept themselves. I help them with their problems. But it's not always easy. And the stronger Shadows are more difficult to help," Minato mumbled, feeling his hands and shoulders shudder.

"Why's that?" Junpei furrowed his brow.

What if he said the wrong things and couldn't save them? His past failures left a dark depression in his stomach, clogging his throat with choked up regrets. "N-No. Shut up about it. It doesn't matter…"

It was that voice which hit Junpei. He was normally more callous towards everyone, but right then, he'd never heard him sound so scared or pathetic.

"I suppose it may be a dangerous task… Perhaps not for Minato, however," Sachiko concluded. She was hesitant to push Minato further on the subject. Maybe it was some amount of care or fear. If he wanted to, he could say, but it seemed to be a sensitive topic. "Anyways, how long have you known about Minato-kun's powers?" she asked.

"Found out about it a few days ago," Junpei answered. "Our group that we're part of, ya know, SEES?" She had heard about SEES at school, hearing that it was a lesser known extra-curricular group. But now she understood: SEES was a group that fought against Shadows and the school club was a cover up for its true purpose. "I found out about it around the same time that joined."

Sachiko lamented, "I see. I can't give much insight into talking to Shadows. And the one person who could is sensitive about the topic, so perhaps at a later time…"

There were other things that she'd been worried about. "Ah, do you have that book?"

He nodded, thankful for the change in subject. She took his compendium, letting Junpei look at it once again. A pair of red eyes darted about the page as she turned them. "Huh. What's this writing? Is it some sort of encoded language?"

"You can't read it?" Minato blinked. "I've been told that it's called Shadow Script."

"If it's meant for Shadow whisperers, I can't read it…" She handed the tome back to him, pondering where he'd gotten that information from. Either someone really did tell him, or he was lying and he made it up himself. The former seemed more likely, but she couldn't put her finger on who it was that told him.

"Not even Sachiko-san, huh?" Junpei commented.

The fact that only he could understand the arrangement of symbols had him curious… and afraid. Now even a fellow Shadow whisperer could come to distrust his writing.

"Oh right. Minato, remember when Yukari tried to heal you but it didn't work?" Minato gave Junpei a small nod. "What was that about? I couldn't really tell. You didn't get beat up by any of the Shadows as we were going along…"

He sighed. "My tongue. It gets hurt… When I talk to Shadows for too long," Minato replied. "They don't heal with spells, so it takes a long time."

"And you don't know why?" Sachiko inquired. "I haven't had this happen to me before."

Minato shook his head. What made him different and what would come to set him apart from others with supposedly the same ability as him?

* * *

**Edited: 10/04/16**

**AN: Sachiko is in no way related to Naoto Shirogane or the Kuzunohas, I regret to say. I mean she could, but I'm not getting into it since I know next to nothing about the Kuzunohas besides Raidou the 14th. But she gets some cool things later on which don't include cross-dressing and demon summoning though so look forward to that?**

**That and I've definitely toned down the stammering and bleeding, but it's always going on. I just don't deign to mention it since I'd be mentioning it. Every chapter. And articulating stutters. Every chapter. So that's why.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	9. Gratuitous Hand Holding

There was really only one reason why he'd kept himself going for a decade:

Find out what had killed his parents on that oh-so fateful night ten years ago.

It had been slow-going, trying to recover the pieces of his sanity when it came to that incident. In fact, it wasn't much progress at all. Sometimes, he thought it was just his subconscious trying to cling to life when it came to such a flimsy motivation.

The thing was, if he _did_ find out and manage to get revenge on whatever had committed the greatest wrong against him, he'd put an end to himself just to die happy after all the shit that he'd had to wade through up until this point in time.

The 'shit' was the business of purifying Shadows.

After the three of them had finished their meals, Junpei left for the dorm, leaving only Minato and Sachiko. "So… you want me to try and talk to your Shadow?" Minato furrowed his brow, levelling what was almost a glare at her. "If your Shadow is as strong as I think it is… I can't promise you getting out of this unharmed… or even alive."

"Why is that? If you answer my questions, I can stop pestering you, you know," Sachiko responded stubbornly.

He growled, "Just shut it. It's nothing you need to know about. And I'm not biting off more than I can chew."

She sighed. "Well, if purifying Shadows is as dangerous a process as you make it out to be, why do you still do it?" Sachiko shot him a glare.

Minato closed his eyes. Why did he start this? He could've been fine without Sachiko's help, finding out about the Shadow whispering ability. It wasn't even that high on his priority list. "It's… They want to pay me back. I need them to kill other hostile Shadows."

"I don't believe for one second that it's a purely utilitarian motivation." He suddenly felt transparent, like the mirror he used to be, which deflected Sachiko's questions, only turned into a wall of worthless glass. "You suffer for what you do but you keep on doing it anyways. It is some sort of incomprehensible pain that you can't bear to even speak, but you keep on doing it anyways.

"What's your motive?"

Her words pierced him, beginning to shatter his resolve of secrecy. "I-I…" Minato clenched his teeth. What the hell did she know?! What right did she have to pry into whatever he wanted to keep secret?! You know what? "If you really want me to tell you…" His glare turned stone cold, like the first step into a cemetery. "Imagine what it's like to be the cause of someone's death. Not because you stabbed them in the chest. But because you drove them to such insanity that they couldn't bear to live anymore and they hung themselves for it," he whispered.

His speech went unnoticed by any other shop patrons, reaching only Sachiko's ears. "Do you know what it's like to go home to the news, knowing you've done something wrong, to hear that a thirty-seven year old man had hung himself for unknown reasons? Do you know what it's like to hear his wife and son crying, saying, 'he was such a kind and caring person' and 'why did he have to go like this?' and 'we never knew that he felt like this'?"

He returned to regular talking, seeing Sachiko's silence. "I keep on doing it because I wonder sometimes whether I can get it right. When I don't, it just reinforces that I need to, someday. It's the only way besides slavery that I can get stronger."

And if he really had to admit it… Talking to them was addicting. It killed him with every failure in a stabbing flurry of euphoric madness and glee. No, he couldn't dare say that aloud.

Sachiko all the while, listened with a twisted mix of curiosity and dread. "You don't want to because you care about me and your own sanity," she summarised, softening her gaze. He didn't deign to respond, but Minato's resigned sigh told her what she needed to know. "What about the other way around?"

He furrowed his brow in confusion. "What if I learned how to purify Shadows?"

Minato felt a razing fury rise in the pits of his gut. "What."

"Look, just pick the lesser of two evils here. I can't find out anything about what you do if there isn't an example. And you won't find out jack shit about the difference between you and me."

So it was a question of 'who was going to burden the pain?'

"…Fine, I'll try purifying your Shadow," he muttered. There was no way that she'd let her do it herself. He'd been lucky twice or three times. The rest… Minato shook his head. "Prepare yourself for having most of your personal life revealed to me."

Sachiko nodded and kept her face impassive. If she let out the victorious smirk that she had, she'd probably offend him again. "Alright."

As Minato closed his eyes and concentrated, the surroundings began drowning out around him, swept away by harsh waves of silence until there was only the tiny whispers of breaking water. The first thing he heard of Sachiko's Shadow through the dying slosh of words was, "I almost can't believe that I've stooped to this…"

"Stooped to what?" he asked, beginning his whispers.

"Oh. You. Could you be the key to my salvation? Or will your methods simply not fit?"

Minato pursed his lips at her Shadow's words. "What do you want?" he asked bluntly. There was a high level of experimentation here.

"What do I want? Does what I want really matter anymore in _his_ eyes?" Shadow Sachiko said wistfully. "Ah, I apologise. I am afraid I am always too wrapped up within my own thoughts… I wish that I never had the option to speak to Shadows."

His eyes widened. Minato almost laughed to himself. "You hate your own power?"

"Indeed, it is a burden…" her Shadow trailed off. "Like your power; a cross we must bear. More of a curse than a blessing. We diverge, but we are still the same at heart…"

Minato had to assume that it was because of the inherently harmful nature of his speech. He'd gathered that Sachiko didn't experience the same side-effects as him. "Why don't you like your power?"

"Precisely because it is _my_ power. It makes me unique in ways that I never asked for. And thus, I am never accepted—not for my investigative skill or wit; not for my being a detective; not for being female; and most certainly, and above all, not for my power."

He chuckled. "I get what you mean…"

"Do you?"

"No-one trusts me because of me being able to talk to Shadows too. They think I'm dangerous."

She continued: "They think I'm different. They think I'm a threat. They think I am, in and of myself, unnatural."

"Exactly." Minato smiled, however sadly. "I mean, we aren't quite the same but… I see where you're coming from. So can you tell me more about it?"

There was silence for a moment. "I shall… But I feel faint at the moment. Perhaps… Another time?"

His eyes widened. "U-Uh yeah."

"It is when you come again that I know your heart is true." Then there was nothing. The surroundings flooded into his ears, bursting to the seams with all colours of noise.

Sachiko inclined her head at Minato. "Are you alright?"

His eyes refocused on the surroundings. "Yeah. I'm fine." Just confused. Minato had never been asked to purify a Shadow multiple times. It was something new for him. Sachiko seemed uneasy, squeezing her arms and hands. "What about you?"

"I feel… lighter, somehow," she answered. "But…" Sachiko shook her head.

Minato sighed, hesitantly reaching for her hand. Mirroring his apprehension, she slowly reached for it, wondering what he meant by the gesture. He gave it a little squeeze. "There. Now you know you aren't alone. That's why we're dealing with this shit together."

She drew her lips into a thin line, not sure how to react. Sachiko faintly felt his warmth and intentions emanate from his hand through her gloves. "Yeah… I guess you're right…" A sigh escaped her, although the feeling it carried was hard to discern. Somewhere between fatigue and relief. "C-Can you not let go for a minute?"

Although taken aback by the request, Minato obliged. Now if only her father or mother could her hand the same way… Sachiko shook her head. "Anyways, I think I need to go home and rest." She let go of his hand, missing the wistfulness of her thoughts already. "Thanks for the talk."

"Right… Text me later or whatever," he replied, turning back to his meal. It was getting cold, which honestly, was probably better for his tongue.

"Farewell, Minato-san." Sachiko stood and turned to leave.

"Minato."

She paused, turning back to him with an incredulous stare. Sachiko had never intended to be on friendly terms but… "Really?" She sighed. "That's a little familiar," she pointed out. Was it out of laziness or because he sincerely thought of her as someone he could be familiar around.

"I know. Up to you." He shrugged.

Then again, through this exercise, they would get to know each other quickly and in a more personally intimate fashion than usual. Maybe he wasn't wrong. "Sachiko-chan," she added.

As they parted ways, Minato felt a strange well of power erupt from within him, much stronger than any surge thus far.

…

"Clink. Clink."

Over the course of several days, Minato had been relaxing in-between studying an exercise. There was nothing that exciting aside from what had been happening while climbing Tartarus. This trip, they'd encountered a certain… lively fellow.

"Stop trying to imitate the Reaper!" Yukari groaned. "It's not funny and it gives me the creeps." Minato just chuckled in response. "Ugh, it almost makes it feel like it's going to be right around the corner," she shivered as her eyes darted upon each corner of the halls once, twice and thrice.

Junpei seemed to be sharing in Yukari's displeasure. "Yuka-tan, you're just imagining it."

He smiled slightly. "I'm glad someone agrees with me but I am being serious. My impression was crap and if the Reaper was going to show up, we'd know. We've also successfully run from him every time."

Mitsuru sighed. "That is correct, but I'd rather you refrain from scaring Takeba." Ah well. There went his fun. Minato could almost see her rubbing her temple.

"I'm not scared," Yukari said stubbornly.

"Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink."

"Stop it Minato!" she growled.

"Huh?" Minato blinked owlishly before looking around. "I said nothing."

Junpei twitched and snapped towards any disturbances. "Uh guys… Is it just me or is the sound getting louder?" The last time they encountered it, he almost pissed himself. The megaton pressure that screamed 'DEATH' and 'KILL' in an unholy anthem told him many things, including the fact that whatever it was, it probably couldn't be beat.

"I sense Death!" Mitsuru warned.

Well, something told Minato that he shouldn't call whatever it was 'Death', although it was pretty close. Just a weird hunch. "Shit. We should find our way to the next floor, treasure or no treasure," Minato commanded, beckoning his team around the corridors. "I can sense him… He's somewhere around here!"

…He was behind them, wasn't he?

Minato slowly turned to face the looming monstrosity's billowing cloak, and the veiny yellow eye perched upon what would have been its head; said head appeared to be covered with sack-like material, splotched with red stains. Blood, probably. "Guys… Why aren't you running? Are you running?"

That's when the footsteps started. "G-Good. I'll distract him!" Minato exclaimed before clearing his throat and greeting in whispers, "H-Hi… Uh, what do you do for a living? A-Are you busy chasing after us, trying to murder, maim and mutilate the desecrators… I-I mean miscreants. I mean—"

The Reaper stared Minato down, shooting tremors through his bones. "I will count to ten. At the end of my countdown, I will destroy you."

"Oh. A threat. Yeah uh…" He started running down the corridor muttering, "I really have no idea what I'm doing…"

The Reaper floated ever stoically. "One. Two. Three. Four."

"Mitsuru, tell me that they've found the exit," Minato said nervously, getting ready to run.

"Five-"

"Go-"

"Six-"

"Yes?"

"Seven-"

"To-"

"YES?"

"Your-"

"Eight-"

"YES!?"

"Nine-"

"Left!"

Minato spun in that direction as fast as his legs could take him.

"Ten." The Reaper lifted the barrels of his revolvers and took steady aim.

He used a Sukukaja spell as he heard the cock of the Reaper's weapons, hoping to speed along his escape from the encroaching light show. Minato knew he was wasting precious energy, but trying to save it just wasn't an option when the Reaper's Megidolaon looked just about like it wanted to swallow him whole for dinner.

Burning magic licked at his heels and he could feel his skin become seared even through his clothes. Using his agility and desperation as fuel, Minato jumped into the segmented walls which hid the next flight of stairs. Yukari and Junpei were there, catching their breaths before starting up them. "Come on!" Junpei exclaimed.

Minato hissed as he followed them. Almighty magic barely touched him and he was already afflicted by ravenous, biting pains. "Never do that again…" he muttered. Out of the corner of his eye, Minato saw the coated Shadow staring him down just beyond the partitions.

"It was luck that you found this place. Otherwise…" Minato could feel a sneer weigh on his back. "You'd have never seen the next light of day. I will see you many times before the end of this journey has come. Remember that."

He gulped. Again?! He could barely take once, a few times each Tartarus trip! Minato immediately muttered for some Dia using Shadows to heal his wounds as the Reaper disappeared behind the walls.

"I declare that no-one is fighting the Reaper without the whole team and even then, only when we're stronger." It was… difficult to keep his composure.

"R-Right," Yukari replied.

"Heh, looks like you got out alive though!" Junpei grinned. "That's… something!" If he was being honest with himself, yes. He was still jealous of Minato's skills, but he'd never want him to die.

Mitsuru struggled to keep her tones even. "That… was reckless, Arisato. Never do that again."

He sighed, nodding in agreement.

* * *

**Edited: 10/04/16**

**AN: Removed Rampage Drive Floor Guardian fight. It was mostly to fill up space and not a lot of stuff happened so... Yeah. I also fixed up Sachiko's conversation with Minato. It's pretty interesting, I think, since it has more details on her character and their interactions have changed slightly (I was almost going to make Minato offer her a hug). Not much about the Reaper changed, tbh.**

**Also I am ashamed to admit that while yes, I based Sachiko off Kyoko Kirigiri from Danganronpa... for some reason, when I imagine her, I see Shino Asada from SAO2. :T**

**Also just a nice note that I've learned after editing the shit out of this chapter and the ones prior: Length doesn't mean everything. Where it's necessary, further detail works. If you can infer the same information using a short sentence, that's amazing. **

**...As in, thank the Lord: this chapter after cutting out the fat, came from 4000 words to 2500. Now that's healthy.**


	10. Derailed Complications

Some types of sweet sleep always seemed to come at a price.

"Arisato, have you been keeping up with your studies? It appears as though you've been taking quite a lot of time in class for sleeping rather than listening to the teachers' lectures," Mitsuru asked as he entered the lobby.

He felt his sweat freeze and the rest of the room grow a layer of frost. "Sometimes… But it's not like I don't do homework." Minato gave her a deadpan. Yes, he slept in class at times, but it wasn't like he didn't study. No-one got perfect marks just by sitting around in the holidays and studying their asses off when they didn't even know the syllabus.

She sighed. "Well, it is more than I can say for Iori or Akihiko," Mitsuru lamented. "Be careful then. Homework won't always help if you don't understand the topic at a basic level beforehand."

"Don't need to tell me twice. But lectures from boring people don't always help and _you_ don't seem to see anyone else complaining." Minato folded his arms.

Yukari shook her head at the exchange. "I don't know where you're hearing these rumours from, but Minato manages to pay attention to most things anyways. The only times that he sleeps are after we come back from Tartarus, but that makes sense," she said flatly.

"Is that so?" Her words were punctuated by a bemused chuckle.

"Aw, come on. I was trying to rile her up." Yukari rolled her eyes at Minato's antics. "So yeah, I pay attention in class. Happy now?"

Why did she defend him?

"It's merely quite curious." Mitsuru put on an enigmatic smile which pulled expressions of confusion onto the two juniors. "Well, I'm glad to see that some of us are doing well. I can't say the same for those other two…"

It was kinda true. It wasn't often that Junpei received remarkable grades. Most of the time they were at _least_ passable, but it was still sad to see. It had been going on since they'd met. Yukari didn't know what kind of money was being shelled out to keep him in the school. "Junpei was like that before this though… I think he's using Tartarus as an excuse not to study."

Well, Minato supposed Junpei had a point there, but he wasn't going to voice that aloud. "Right. Well I'm going to study," he announced in spite.

Yukari followed after him, intending to do the same, but as it came to the point where she'd turn for the next set of stairs, he stopped. "Why'd you help me?"

"I was just telling the truth." Yukari shrugged. "That and someone had to burst your bubble. Last time Mitsuru was talking to Akihiko, I swear I saw her try to freeze him in a block of ice."

"...Fine. Just keep remembering what I told you from day two," he muttered.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Minato-kun, I frankly don't know who you're trying to fool." Something of a smirk appeared on her face. "I have to tell you something. If there's anything I know, it's that your douchebag act isn't going to work anymore."

He slowly turned and levelled his glare at her, teeth and fists clenched with the density of lead. White knuckled rage simmered through every layer of his skin.

"The thing is, as much you want to say that you don't care about us and as much as you want to push us away by putting up the jerk facade…" She took a deep breath and gave him a smile through gritted teeth. "You have to if we're going to stick together as a team in Tartarus and against anything else we come across, whether you like it or not!"

"Stop trying to fix me!" Yukari sighed, apparently letting Minato make his rebuttal. If she could call it that. "I know there's no point!" He pursed his lips. "But I never want to open up again. Me, being this way? I'm only protecting myself and you."

"So you do care about everyone else?" Yukari furrowed her brow. Did he force himself to think he hated everyone then? What could possibly be so bad that he'd do something like that?

Minato threw his hands up. At this point the words were flowing out on their own. "Yeah. I do. And I don't want to." He set his glare upon her once again. "S-Stop trying to understand me. Stop trying to _fix_ me. It'll hurt less in the end."

She growled to herself, giving him a glare that could only be reserved for the scummiest of scum and the lowest of the low, like the piece of gum you picked off your shoe, or the black grime you scraped away with a toothpick in the shower. "So you're just running away from your pain, huh?" She shook her head. "You sound just like my mother."

Minato closed his eyes as Yukari stormed past him. What was done… was done. He went to sleep that night, wracked with quaking unease and calmed by floods of contentment. Admonished, yet praised.

He was easily awakened by the presence of a boy sitting on the edge of his bed, peering at him with oddly cyan, but soothing eyes. "Hello. How are you?" the boy greeted.

Still groggy from (unsatisfying) sleep, Minato sat up and mumbled, "Aren't you… that kid from…?"

The boy giggled. "I'm glad you remember me," he said. "I just wanted to warn you about something… You need to be careful. You'll be facing another trial soon…"

"A Shadow…?" Minato rubbed his eyes, barely deciphering the boy's words.

Again, he laughed, smiling all the while. "I'm glad you figured it out. Well…" The boy disappeared and reappeared near the window at Minato's desk. That was… something you didn't see every day. "I'll come again once it's over." And in a blink of an eye, there were no traces of him.

Minato shook his head. That wasn't a dream, was it? He'd seen that boy before when he'd first come to the dorm. But honestly, he did need more sleep. He fell back onto his pillow. Maybe he'd figure out what it meant in the morning.

He did suppose that it got him thinking about whatever the big threat was. Was it a large Shadow like the one he'd encountered a month ago? In the next few days, the team ventured up Tartarus until they met what seemed to be the end of their explorations. "Are they really blocking us from going up farther?" Yukari asked aloud, narrowing her eyes at the offending barrier.

Impeding them was a dimly glowing lamp post accompanied by legions of towering, cluttered chairs and tables in a fence-like arrangement. As a whole, it glowed with a mysterious power that told it wasn't an ordinary barricade. "Well, we could always try breaking it down!" Junpei exclaimed.

"Wait. We mustn't be rash," Mitsuru interrupted. "We don't know what will happen when you make contact with it. Examine it first."

After a few moments spent observing the insurmountable cliff of chairs and tables, Minato said, "Try touching it with your sword." Junpei stepped forward, tapping the blade against the green glow. It lightly bounced back with impact.

Minato tested it with a kick, bracing himself for rebound. Like he'd thought, his foot reflected from the wall and slammed back into the floor. "Persona." Orpheus appeared above him, hellfire blasting into the mess at a strum. The smoke faded to reveal nothing but a light ripple coursing across its surface.

"Tch, what else can we do?" Junpei growled.

He sighed, opening his compendium to Kishimaru's page. With a few whispers, the Intrepid Knight appeared, bashing and stabbing at the barrier with his lance. The green glow distorted for a moment, but there was nothing more—not even when a Garudyne crashed into the wall. "I don't think there's anything we can do. We'll have to leave it here for now. Good work," Mitsuru said. Truthfully, she was dismayed that they couldn't continue, but she had to be proud of the progress they'd made so far.

"I wonder what's going to happen now since we can't get through," Yukari murmured.

Minato said nothing, instead turning his attention to pieces of paper sprawled across the floor. Most of them were burned or bloodstained, but there was one which he could make out. 'The electricity is hooked up. But why do they need so much? There's only a school on this island…'

"What's that thing?" Junpei asked, looking over Minato's shoulder. Shrugging, Minato gave it to the two to read.

The team headed back down for a quick debriefing. The general consensus was that maybe they'd have to try some other methods of breaking down the barrier. Perhaps there was more labyrinth, or more information as to the meaning of the scraps they'd picked up.

…

Elizabeth perused the pages, smiling with glee as she returned her gaze to Minato. "It seems you are a tiny bit closer to discovering the truth!" She handed it back to him. "I suggest you keep it and as you gather more information, think long and hard about what you have synthesised. For now, here is your reward for clearing Tartarus to this level."

He was presented with, as the name would suggest, a chain of beads. "Uh… thanks…" Minato murmured. He supposed it was yet another one of Elizabeth's weird requests ticked off. But… "Elizabeth-san…"

"Yes, Minato-sama?"

Pursing his lips, he breathed out what could only be a sigh of resignation as he let the calm of the Velvet Room overtake his senses. "If I do something wrong… Will you still be there?"

Elizabeth turned to Igor for a moment. "As long as you abide by the contract and assume responsibility for the actions that you make, we will always be happy to provide our services to you," she answered with a smile. "Why do you ask, Minato-sama?"

He shook his head. "I've gotten into trouble with one of the people that's on my team," Minato explained. "It was my fault so…"

"That statement. 'It was my fault'," Elizabeth pointed out. "You say that it is through your actions that you have driven a wedge in your relationship. That is your contract. Never forget that. It is up to you to fix it… or to do nothing. That matters is that you acknowledge it is your choice. You were the one who did this, or that, or another thing. If you know this, you will never have to worry…"

Minato gulped and nodded. "Okay… Thanks." With that, he left.

…

Akihiko walked into the command room to see Mitsuru with her Persona behind her. She sometimes stayed up late to see if there were any wayward Shadows which could be causing trouble. Usually it was clear, but in her words, "It never hurt to be vigilant. They could show up at any time."

"I know that. But even you can't push yourself too hard."

"You're the last person who can say that," she pointed out, earning a small laugh from him. "Wait. I'm detecting something," Mitsuru said.

He raised an eyebrow. "Another Shadow?"

She was silent for a moment, getting a hold on the Shadow's signature. "Yes, but the reading is different. It's too large."

He wondered aloud, "Could it be another one of them…?"

Mitsuru closed her eyes. "Sound the alarms and wake the others. Tell them to prepare for battle and meet at Iwatodai Station's monorail. Get the chairman as well," she commanded.

Belaying any sort of defiant response, the three juniors were jolted awake in a roar of sirens.

After some disgruntled groans (mostly Minato and Junpei) and some words from Akihiko. "Man, what's taking so long?!" Junpei sighed. "This is some valuable sleep time!"

"Stupei, grow up." Yukari ignored his indignant 'hey!' "The full moon looks really creepy in the Dark Hour," she mumbled, more to herself.

It engulfed the sky like an ocean and in the old moonlight, Minato probably wouldn't have figured it was the moon if he didn't know before. Was this what the boy and Elizabeth were warning him about a week ago?

"Sorry I'm late." The purrs of a motorcycle came and ceased there as Mitsuru dismounted. "Tonight, this operation is the extermination of a large Shadow. Its presence has been detected on the monorail, and to get there you three will have to walk on the tracks."

Yukari's eyes widened. "On the tracks? Isn't that dangerous?"

"Don't worry. Machinery doesn't work in the Dark Hour," Mitsuru reassured.

Junpei furrowed his brow. "What about your bike?"

"It's specially designed by the Kirijo group," Mitsuru answered. It reminded him that he still hadn't asked her for a Kirijo modification for his mp3. "Anyways, are you all prepared?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Yukari answered, trading glances with Junpei, who fist pumped in response.

Minato nodded. "You're in charge again," Akihiko added.

"Heh, you again, huh?"

He shrugged off the tone in Junpei's voice and simply continued to the tracks, letting the rest of them catch up. They reached the monorail in a few minutes with Minato taking time to observe the moon as they ran. It was so oddly… entrancing.

"We're here. Let's go."

Minato didn't deign to tell her that it would be a better idea for the guys to go up first and just let her glare at Junpei before climbing up.

The door shut behind them.

"Mitsuru-senpai… I thought technology didn't work in the Dark Hour," Yukari murmured, bordering on a low growl.

She called, "What happened?"

"The doors shut behind us," he answered, eyeing a Shadow that had appeared further down the carriage.

Mitsuru sighed. "This isn't good. It must've been a trap. For now, you'll just have to make your way to the front car, where the Shadow is." As Minato gave a sound of affirmation, Mitsuru warned, "Be careful and stay cautious."

He gritted his teeth. "Psh. I can do this myself with your help! It's just one Shadow!" And Junpei, being the dumbass that Minato always knew he would be, ran up the rest of the carriage out of sight and into the sunset. It _was_ only a one way track, after all, and there'd be no way that they wouldn't encounter the same Shadow later on even if they went as a whole team, right?

"The hell, Stupei…?" A lurch came from behind them, and both of them turned to face the Shadows. Yukari muttered a 'damn' under her breath. "Why couldn't he just stay with us?!"

Minato shook his head as he muttered 'Agi' under his breath. "Let's just catch up to him…" Wonder who stuck that horseshoe up his ass. One of the two Tiaras went bye-bye in bloody bits after the Shadows from his compendium made them well-done.

As Yukari began nocking an arrow, the Shadow let out a screech and scuttled away from the two. It seemed he was putting his ability to good use, if nothing else. With a sigh, she followed him up the compartments.

Don't think he didn't notice that. "Hey. Yukari-san."

"What?"

"I know you don't like me, but can you put it aside until after this life or death situation blows over?" Minato asked, dispatching weak Shadows with a well-placed kick or punt from his compendium.

She softened her glare, letting loose an arrow into an incoming enemy. "I've been doing that," Yukari replied, trying to keep her venom down.

Not long after, they reached Junpei's location, where he was being mauled by several Shadows at once. "Take this, you freak of nature!" he growled, barely holding back one with the flat of his blade.

"A trap…" Minato murmured before commanding a Shadow to use Maragi on the surrounding foes.

It was enough of a distraction for Junpei to be able to finish the screaming Shadows off. While he took his deep breaths, Yukari walked over and summoned her Persona to heal him. "Are you alright?"

"Of course I am… I was doing just fine!" he exclaimed.

Yukari rolled her eyes at Junpei's antics before turning to Minato with a sigh. "Are you fine?"

After a nod, Minato was accosted by Mitsuru. "Are you three alright? It seems that the Shadows are becoming more intelligent from the trap that they laid. They separated you three easily." She shook her head. "Anyways, keep moving to the end goal. I'll deal with your punishment once this is done, Iori." That statement alone drained the heat from his face.

The ground jerked beneath them, shunting them onto the floor and nearby seats. The vehicle, said to be inoperable during the Dark Hour just _moved_.

Yukari stumbled back, clutching a seat for support. "Is the thing _moving_?! I thought it couldn't do that during the Dark Hour!"

"It may be the Shadow… But we can't panic now," Mitsuru said through gritted teeth. "If you don't stop this thing it'll crash into another train!"

All three, even Minato's, pairs of eyes widened as horror struck them. "Let's get to the last car," Minato said, starting to walk ahead. "Come on."

"Yes. Hurry up! You only have five minutes before collision!" Mitsuru ordered.

Junpei laughed nervously to himself. "Haha… Y-You can't be serious… We aren't seriously going to die, are we?"

"Should've thought of that before you went and ran like an idiot," Minato muttered.

There weren't many Shadows left in their way until they arrived at the front car. Even Minato, who'd seen all sorts of Shadows, had to take a moment to suppress what would've been a spit take at the mastermind behind the situation.

This Shadow took the form of a woman, relaxing with spread legs and leaning back on the heels of its palms, a white drape strewn across her thighs. All around her, scroll-like tendrils in black and white flowed like a spider web across the carriage, following a similar pattern to those across her body: one half black, one half white.

Her vacant eyes fell upon its opponents from behind its pink mask, giving an airy chuckle. "R-Right. Mitsuru-senpai, scan it!" Minato ordered, after breaking out from his momentary stupor.

"Alright. The Arcana is Priestess!" she exclaimed.

Out of thin air, two smaller Shadows appeared, halting the team's advances.

"Ugh, you've got to be kidding me…" Minato growled in whispers, "Move!" The two Book Shadows were set into a state of panic as two commanding forces fought for control. For a moment. An overpowering aura of death flooded their consciousness, making them howl in fear before scramming in a shower of goo.

Arcana Priestess did not look pleased.

"Minato-kun!" Yukari gritted her teeth as her scrolls of hair bashed him into a window. "Persona!" Io appeared behind her, unleashing a Garu spell at the Priestess' Bufu spell in counter. "Junpei, do something!"

Hermes dove into the Shadow while it was preoccupied, slicing ichor from her torso. She barely lessened the Persona's impact with the scrolls and as it passed through, wrapped Hermes in them before doing what it did to Minato. Junpei staggered as his Persona dissipated, only to see the Priestess also knocked back.

Minato gritted his teeth as his Shadow slammed into Arcana Priestess's face. Enraged by his summon, she whipped up a cold gust of Bufu to encrust the surroundings and their bodies in ice. "Keep going!" he exclaimed, summoning the snow imp, Jack Frost, to absorb the cold.

The Priestess shrieked in frustration, her hair shooting towards all three of the team members. Yukari sidestepped at first, but didn't count on it coming back to wrap around her.

"Lay down and die!" he growled to the Shadow. A Dancer Shadow emerged from his compendium, brandishing its two rapiers.

Junpei's sword and torso, which had been blocked from moving by another set of scrolls were set free. The remnants of the hair dissipated into red mist as they fell onto the floor, courtesy of a well-placed slash by Minato's companion.

As Junpei's Persona rushed towards the Priestess with outspread wings, an arrow accompanied it into striking through the Priestess' flesh. It seemed Yukari had Junpei's treatment as well.

Preoccupied with Junpei and Yukari's predicaments, the Dancer Shadow was stricken and couldn't block the tendril which snatched Minato's compendium out of hand. With Minato's power, it returned to the compendium. Having his Shadows die wasn't on his to-do list. "Okay, that's just rude…" Minato glared at Arcana Priestess as it dangled his book. "Ugh. Use Agidyne for all I care!"

Sho, responding to Minato's call, flared the compendium ablaze, completely burning it out of the scroll's grip. The compendium leaped back into his grip, making the Priestess even _more_ frustrated than before.

"One minute remaining!"

Consumed by anger, the Priestess shot her scrolls solely at Minato. He had a countermeasure, of course, but Hermes darted into the tendrils with a Cleave attack, severing them before coming back around for a second attack. "Hey! Use Agi! On my mark, Yukari, use Garu!" Minato yelled, keeping Jack Frost out to absorb any incoming ice spells. "We've got her cornered and she better goddamn know it!"

"Let's show it who's boss!" Junpei grinned as Hermes glowed with flame. The orbs of fire blasted towards the Priestess. Yukari also summoned her Persona, although with much less theatrics.

"Now!" A gust of wind hurtled from Io towards the snarling flames. The gales spilled searing heat through the metal of the carriage, beginning to irritate both casters. Minato switched to Pyro Jack to absorb the remaining flames, the scorching tornado engulfing the Priestess in roaring fire.

Only a few seconds remained.

"Get down!" Minato shouted.

The tempest of heat exploded, sending fiery wind through the carriage. Even Junpei felt that the flash drought was near unbearable, despite his resistance to fire. Thankfully, there was no further damage as Pyro Jack took the remaining embers.

There was nothing else but a pleasing pile of smoky ash on the ground.

While Yukari and Junpei found their footing, she realised something. "Why are we still moving?!"

"The momentum from the minutes the train has been moving is still going! You have to find a way to stop the train!" Mitsuru exclaimed. What could she do!? There were only remaining seconds before the collision… "What if they don't succeed…?" she muttered to herself. Mitsuru was too far from them. There wasn't enough time.

"Snap out of it Mitsuru! We just have to believe in them. There isn't anything that we can do now!" Akihiko exclaimed.

Minato stumbled to the driver's compartment. There had to be some brakes somewhere, right? Just his luck that he was more into psychology than conducting trains.

He clasped and switched just about anything. "There! Don't fail me now!"

Ten seconds, maybe?! Could they make it?

All he could do was hope and pray. This couldn't really be the end for them, could it?

The next train was only a few metres ahead. If there was a god, would it let them get out alive?

Sickening screams of metal.

Minato breathed in and out, laughing to himself. His face was flushed with blood.

"We did it…" He stumbled back into the wall, making a thud as the tension unwound from his still shaking body.

Yukari breathed out a sigh of relief. "Oh god… I thought we might've…"

"Are you alright?" Mitsuru asked, barely hiding her shaky voice.

"Yeah, we're fine!" Junpei exclaimed.

"What of Arisato?"

"Oh. He just fainted. I think the stress he was going through just left him," Yukari laughed nervously.

"Well, at least one of us is gonna sleep well tonight…" Akihiko grinned.

* * *

**Edited: 13/04/16**

**AN: I severely shortened the fight. I didn't see a reason to draw it out so... yeah, I kept the Fusion Spell. I thought it was cool. **

**Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	11. Fix You

There are many questions that Minato could be asked. Like why did he have a blonde in blue frolicking around the mall and causing what may be public disturbances? Why was she pouring millions of yen into each of the fountains?

Just a few minutes ago…

"You want me to guide you around Paulownia Mall… because you're curious about my world," Minato summarised, resisting the urge to splutter 'no' at the idea. He got a reward out of it and he supposed it didn't involve killing (or talking to) any Shadows but…

"Indeed! You seem nervous," Elizabeth noted. She gave him a wondering look before continuing with, "Perhaps you don't know what to show me?"

Minato furrowed his brow. "That's not it… Just…" He supposed at the time that if anything went wrong, he could sacrifice his dignity. "Let's go."

Elizabeth's eyes lit up. "I-I must be so honoured that you accepted my request straight away. Then I suppose there isn't any time to lose!"

It's only because he didn't have a social life. He opened the door out, waiting for Elizabeth to step outside. "What a gentleman. Quite unlike dear Theo…" she said with a wistful smile.

He shook his head, deciding not to ask her who the hell 'Theo' was. "Paulownia Mall. Knock yourself out." Minato folded his arms, waiting for Elizabeth to be attracted to… whatever.

"My, that sounds like a dangerous process. I'm not sure it is possible for me to 'knock myself out'."

That was when Minato knew that this was going to be an interesting, but horrifying afternoon. He could begin to really fathom Elizabeth's character. To describe it in one word? Frightening. Just… Just frightening.

She ran over to the centremost fountain of Paulownia Mall. "What a strange contraption! Built for making play of water: humanity's primary source of sustenance. How wicked!" she exclaimed.

How he wished to shrink back into a deep, dark hole after what she'd suggested. "It's decoration," Minato supplied.

"How so? Perhaps the clarity of the water and the way that it weaves through the air is what gives the fountain a special quality of beauty…" Elizabeth smiled. "Why, it is majestic. I must pay my respects to the fountain spirits!"

A minute passed as Minato processed what she'd just said. "Fountain spirits," he said flatly. During this time, Elizabeth had begun pouring monstrous amounts of five yen coins into the fountain pool. Geez. This could've been a good offering to an actual god. With their own shrine. "Oh shit…"

Never once did she look up to see the people staring at the stream of coins from her apparently bottomless wallet.

Would it be bad courtesy to steal that money? Actually, maybe later when she moved. He dragged his hand down his face as Elizabeth said, "Ah, in all the excitement, I neglected to make a wish. This will simply not do…" Wow. All that money. For a wish. Which probably wouldn't be granted.

He took one of the five yen coins, observing it for a moment before pocketing it. Minato supposed that maybe he could satisfy his pilfering need. "Right. Don't waste it next time." He humoured her with a sigh. "What next?"

Elizabeth skipped over to the police station, where Akihiko had introduced Junpei and him to Officer Kurosawa a while back. Minato didn't have a use for weapons, but the armour never hurt, and he could appreciate its utility for the others. "What is this facility here?"

This was hard to put in a few words… "For upholding justice?"

"Justice, you say? Reinforce your world's laws? To make things fair for all people?" she asked. He rubbed the back of his head with an "I suppose so" before turning to the bulletin board next to it. "Oh… The requests on this board… They are similar to my subjugation requests, are they not?"

Minato suppressed a nervous laugh. He… didn't always kill the Shadows to get what he wanted. "We don't kill them," he replied.

"Ah, I see… This might in itself, require more skill… maybe I should ask you to do the same," Elizabeth said, making Minato choke in surprise. "But then again, that would be rather troublesome, delivering a Shadow to the Velvet Room. Letting it inside would also pose a problem… I doubt Master Igor would appreciate it."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "I prefer the current method."

"As you might!" She then skipped over to the stairs leading up to Mandragora. "What is this place here, seated above an entrance to my abode?"

"People hire rooms and use different programs to sing along to songs with lyrics on a screen. It's called karaoke," Minato explained. "It's kinda…" He shook his head, the last words dying in his throat. Elizabeth inclined her head at his hesitation. "N-Nothing."

He used to go with his parents to these places. His mum wasn't the best singer—she was always counting bills; not performing. His dad put too much expression into his voice (and he was pretty good), but his slowing down and speeding up and volume control didn't always give him the best results.

"I'd like to try my hand at these so called karaoke booths at least once," Elizabeth said. "But not now! There's more to see, after all!"

Minato nodded wearily as Elizabeth ran over to Club Escapade. "

"Uh right," he nodded.

"Now, what of this club that you mentioned?" Elizabeth visibly brightened up at the prospect of seeing the club.

"It's Club Escapade. I don't really know much about it since I don't think I'd be allowed in. I'm not exactly of age."

Her eyes widened. "You need to be a certain age in order to enter! For what reason?"

"They don't want irresponsible people to drink alcohol. Not that I'm interested in it." He shrugged.

"Why is that?"

Minato sighed. "If you have too much alcohol, you 'lose your inhibitions' and you do things that can get you hurt," he tried explaining. "People also go there to do dancing, I guess."

"Dancing? Why, I'd like to try that myself sometime!" Like everything else. "Swaying in time to the music, following the rhythm… it sounds absolutely invigorating!" Elizabeth performed a small dance on the spot. Honestly, it was an indescribable experience. An indescribably questionable and possibly disgusting experience.

"And there's even another fountain here! Why, it is a trinity of fountain spirits," Elizabeth exclaimed eagerly.

He decided to humour her. "Don't forget your wish this time." Minato sighed. Was this reward for making new Personas really worth it? A large part of him was telling him that it was a lost cause to stop her. Thus, the rivers of cash into the pools of water ensued.

Seemingly anticipating Elizabeth's question, Minato said, "That's Game Panic. It's an arcade."

"A series of arches?"

He shook his head. "It's for playing games." Minato sounded not at all enthralled by the fact.

She laughed. "That sounds rather fun!" As Minato's eyes darted towards the accursed claw game near the entrance of the store, Elizabeth approached it. "Is this the claw machine from which you procured those Jack Frost dolls?"

Stupid machine. "Yeah." He wasn't disguising any venom for that machine. Not at all.

Elizabeth approached it and inserted the desired amount of coins into the slot. There was no way that she'd get it, right? But no. She achieved control of the claw flawlessly, easily picking out the coveted Jack Frost dolls. "My, that was easier than I thought it would be," she exclaimed. Hahaha, wait what? Minato blinked, watching the Jack Frost doll pop out the dispenser.

A doll on her first try. "I wasted 9000 yen on that."

"But I'm afraid that it was rather simple… Perhaps I should've asked you for two more for decorating my room," Elizabeth thought aloud.

Minato let out a deep breath. "No-one gets that on the first try." Either this was a dream or Elizabeth had the dumbest amount and equally dumbest luck he'd ever seen.

"Well, then earlier competitors must have been rather unskilled then," she said. His gears ground with majestic choruses of tiny, itty bitty screeches of metal, like he could hear infinite amounts of ants screaming expletives being crushed with the ease and force of a hydraulic press.

He gritted his teeth. "Are we done?"

"I do believe we are." Elizabeth smiled before skipping off in the direction of the Velvet Room.

He followed suit. Whatever next trip they had could not possibly be worth the amount of brain fart this request had just given him.

Upon returning to the Velvet Room, Elizabeth settled back into the usual spot next to Igor's chair. "I believe that this quest has been completed to a wholly satisfactory standard," she said happily. Thrust into Minato's hands was what she called the Small Cheongsam.

Fusion material, or so she called it. He guessed he could try it out later. So why did he feel so goddamn empty?

"Is something wrong, Minato-sama?" There was her enigmatic smile.

After a moment, he shook his head. "No."

Elizabeth giggled. "Minato-sama? I recommend freeing your troubles and letting other people handle them, like I do. It's a very cathartic process. I procure my desires, and the other person is compensated. It's a mutually beneficial system!"

He headed towards the door. "Maybe."

…

The mysterious murders, up in the air, mixed with cocktails of near baseless rumour and the swill of meetings on the subject of Shadow intelligence: That in total, made up his week.

If that week wasn't a hangover, it probably should've been. The meeting went by fairly quickly, as aside from mulling over the intelligence of Shadows, it was mostly spent just berating Junpei for his recklessness.

As for the rumours, it seemed students had been appearing at the entrance to the school in vegetative states. They only mumbled strange things like 'it's coming…!' and people speculated that there was some supernatural force behind the string of cases, which really might not have been wrong. It was when they got to the 'angry ghosts' that it started falling apart.

As for the murders… "I already told you about the apathy killings, no doubt?" Sachiko asked, earning a nod from Minato. "And I told you that I had reason to believe that it was Shadows behind the attacks, yes, with the possibility of other Shadow whisperers being behind these attacks?

"Not that I'd considered you to be one of the suspects. If you are, it's a lower priority. After all, the killings had been occurring far before you'd come to Iwatodai," she said absentmindedly. "That and… I don't believe that with even your sizeable Shadow collection, that you'd be able to kill them."

Minato raised an eyebrow. So he was already being written off the list, huh? "How large?"

"Think an army."

"That's not hard," he mumbled to himself with a deadpan, being reminded of Arcana Magician. "Right. I don't have _that_ many." Minato shook his head.

Sachiko sighed. "Anyways… And sorry for the long-winded set-up but what I'm saying is just… Keep an eye out for any suspicious looking people, especially during the Dark Hour."

After he gave her a nod, he commented, "Maybe I'll stop them if I'm feeling generous…"

"Well now. Don't get in over your head. This sounds pretty dangerous," she replied. "So, are you going to try talking to my Shadow?"

He sighed, but let out a begrudging 'yes'. "I'd just like to… You know. Express once again, my reluctance to go through with this process." Sachiko gave him a smirk as if to say 'do you really think that's going to stop me?' "Fine, fine…"

Breathe in. Breathe out. "Sachiko-chan?" he whispered.

Her Shadow's voice didn't waste any time in replying. "Hello. How are you?"

"Alright, I guess…"

"Ah yes, there's always still a certain uncertainty when it comes to our states of mind." She laughed. "I will have to say that I feel the same, but a bit less… So, why don't we just cut to the chase?"

Minato raised an eyebrow. "What's your problem?"

Sachiko's Shadow chuckled to herself. "Yes… A problem. A problem which I am at the core of," she said, almost happily. Before Minato could mutter a 'what the fuck' at her self-awareness (although he really should've been used to it by now) he heard:

"_I am a useless piece of shit_."

That was a short shortcut. "You seem… surprised. No, you didn't hear me wrong." Minato pursed his lips, letting her go on. She was right. He'd never encountered such a Shadow before. "I am useless. The burden. And out of everyone else…" She giggled, as if revelling in mud. "I've gone off the deep end with my own sanity because I can't trust anyone! 'Everyone! Everyone, look at me!' They have to! Otherwise, I will fade into obscurity and I'll just be the crazy girl who can communicate with the shit stains of humanity!"

Minato had to admit, much to his alarm, that he wasn't sure how to respond. She laughed, and laughed and laughed… "Don't you agree? Being able to talk to Shadows… Wouldn't you say that it manages to eke out more negatives than positives?

"Like being ostracised by your own family, of all people. The few people in life that you'd think you'd be able to trust until everything shatters at the age of ten." He bit his lip. Because it was true. "An ability that no-one will come to appreciate me for. Every job shunted in my direction, I get little credit for and my 'father' soaks up all the glory. If it wasn't for my cognitive skill, I'd probably have been disowned years ago!"

"Y-Yeah… Being able to talking to Shadows and…"

He just… couldn't get a word in. "This one 'gift' that some god had the gall to play to me and what happens? I get cast aside like yesterday's trash. They don't trust or accept me anymore…" She seemed on two verges: on crying; on laughter. "I hate them. I can barely call them 'family'."

The words rung in his ears like repeated bell toll reverb. Her Shadow was too agitated, but he knew somehow that it wasn't a sign of the other… more grisly result. Minato was thankful for that at least, but how was he supposed to say anything? "C-Could you slow down a bit…?"

There was a pause of flooding silence. "Ah. Sorry. I… I lost my composure for a moment…" The Shadow seemed ready to cry. "So… What do you think?"

He gulped as he gathered himself. Focus! "Sachiko-chan… I know a bit about how you feel," Minato managed to say. "I deal with it on a daily basis. People distrusting me just because I can talk to Shadows, even though I've never once tried to attack them with my control and even though it's been helping them more than any other ability of mine. My family turning me away like I was a curse. Maybe I was. But… You have to know.

"I get it. You having this ability doesn't make you useless; it makes you different. Different isn't always bad. If it was, we'd probably have a lot more to learn about in history classes," he said, trying to lighten up the situation. "I don't know what you've gone through to an exact decimal place or something, but sometimes…

"You just have to hold on to something. Anything. Anyone."

Her Shadow—no, Sachiko—reached for his hand, as if sensing the onslaught of tears. That reassurance of his grip. A tether to reality. "So… Please, tell me, if you want to get it all out."

Minato, now realising the gravity of his actions and the things that he said, hesitantly tightened his hold on her palm, fingers… Hand. "I… Sorry… I'm just…" The Shadow paused as Sachiko's hand trembled and subsequently, also tightened her grip. "I feel like I'm alone… And for too long, I haven't had an 'anyone' to hold onto… 'Anything' could've been my pride and my desire to help people but even that… It's started to die down. Until now, there was never someone who understood. I think I've been missing that…"

"I think I see what you mean. I've been alone on this for a while too," he agreed. "Do you feel a bit better now?"

She mumbled, hiccupping with tears, "A little bit… I-I'm sorry. I didn't get to… Really explain…"

"Shh…" He closed his eyes, waiting for her Shadow, and Sachiko's sobs to die down. Minato whispered not to her Shadow, but Sachiko herself, a sweet lie could sometimes get someone through the night. "It's okay… It's okay…"

Never did they feel they could let go.

* * *

**Edited: 15/04/16**

**AN: Oh man... The latter half was really nice to write. The original conversation was okay but definitely not this touching. In more ways than one, actually. Haha! Anyways, I actually really like this chapter as a whole, despite some of it being a pain to edit.**

**Look out for more changes as things get edited! I think they'll be pretty good. **

**Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	12. Show-offs and Party Crashers

First time to get some action, first time to fight in Tartarus since Minato had become leader, and first time that he could really get through some training. It was no wonder that Akihiko was pleased.

"You can't get too excited, Akihiko. It wouldn't do well for you to be injured again," Mitsuru warned.

As he bounced around, cutting through the air with sharp jabs and one-two sequences, Akihiko replied, "I know. I'm not planning on it."

"Are you talking about not getting excited, or not getting injured again?" she asked with a small smile. The final uppercut. Akihiko calmed down from his shadow boxing and turned back to Mitsuru with an 'oh crap, she saw through me' expression. "I'm just worried about you. Don't push yourself too hard that you get into trouble," Mitsuru explained.

Akihiko sighed, but gave her a smirk. "I'll try."

…

Their next Tartarus trip was to be spent checking the obstacle blocking their ways further up the tower. Elizabeth had tipped Minato off by phone a few days ago (he still hadn't figured out how she'd gotten his phone number) saying that a change had occurred.

There was the possibility that the barrier was still there. In which case, Minato knew he'd probably get an earful from Junpei or maybe Akihiko if neither of them got to fight. Lord knew that whatever Junpei felt about him didn't go away after he'd been chewed out by Mitsuru earlier.

Ah well. There was a difference between not liking someone and fostering trust with someone.

The team stepped onto the access point and took it to the floor with the barrier.

For a moment, nothing seemed to have changed. Then, groans of metal screeched as the chairs and tables gave way to the stairs just behind. "I guess we should go on," Yukari stated.

"Yeah. Let's go." Minato went first, just to check whether it was going to rise back up. Well, he hoped not.

The next few floors were spent becoming accustomed to how Akihiko worked as a team member along with the others. No doubt his skills could come in handy for later on.

"What happened to the scenery?" Junpei asked. After a while, the green halls of the block Mitsuru had named 'Thebel' turned to violet walls and floors where cold, eerie lighting permeated. Statues of pale faces and waves of decoration streaked across the walls, giving off a bizarre, ethereal feel.

"I believe that we might have entered a new realm of Tartarus, or something of the sort," Mitsuru explained. "That being said, you must tread cautiously. We don't know what is ahead."

Of course. Time seemed to pass slowly as the team trudged they ways up the floors. Minato had more or less lost count of how many before they'd reached an area with an inactive access point. In the centre were three more powerful Shadows. Minato and the team had encountered other such guardian floors while in Thebel. This, hopefully, would be like the others:

Victory.

"Crying Tables," he thought aloud. And indeed, they were in the form of tables, complete with a Magician's mask on the front and many articles of flaming cutlery above them. "Should be easy enough. Mitsuru-senpai, scan them when we get into the fight."

"I'll do my best."

As they surrounded the table Shadows, one of them unleashed a wave of knives and fire at Minato. Still moving, he managed to slide out of the way before witnessing the explosion of heat behind him. The intensity of the flames could be felt even from where he was standing. "Slow, but powerful Agi users," he muttered to himself. "Try wind! Junpei, Akihiko, try the dual attack!"

Yukari promptly summoned Io, dealing out a Garu spell from below the Shadow. It careened in a serene arc and managed to flip itself right side up before hitting—

Hermes. Hermes, and Polydeuces: Akihiko's Persona.

Hermes charged into the Crying Table with a Cleave. 'Shing!' came the impact. 'Thud!' the shock blared. Polydeuces drilled its syringe into the table in a Sonic Punch attack. Although it appeared to do no damage to the Table, it managed to hold it in place for Hermes to gash through.

"Red Wall."

As Agi spells disintegrated the Personas, a barrier of red, hexagonal shapes dispersed the fire, lessening the impact on the two wielders. "Helping each other, huh?" Akihiko said through gritted teeth.

Intelligence. Always a deciding factor in a victory or loss. Now, seeing as they were using fire spells, it wouldn't hurt to fill in the usually opposite type of magic, would it? "Mabufula." When Minato opened his compendium, streams of ice blitzed across the floor and speared from beneath each of the Crying Tables. Just as the icicles would pierce them, bursts of fire exploded the cold away from them.

"This isn't good. They're adapting to void your attacks! It may be that they are hiding a weakness!" Mitsuru warned.

"Everyone. Distract them. I'm gonna try something." It might as well end it.

Each of them glanced at Minato, however warily, but did as they were told. Throngs of lightning coursed across the battlefield from Polydeuces's syringe, striking one, then the next, and the last. This time, Akihiko was ready for an attack and managed to only get grazed by an attempted counterattack.

"Yuka-tan, look out!" At Junpei's call, she just deflected an Agilao with a Garu of her own, blowing the embers apart before tunnelling towards her assailant with a mighty gust.

As it was, Minato would've liked to perhaps summon one of his stronger Shadows to end this quicker, but he was running low on spiritual power; SP which he was wanting to conserve just in case. While wiping away the blood on the side of his hand, he tore out the Mabufula-using Shadow from its page form.

In a shine of blue light, it morphed, convulsed and finally transformed into a short blade. Partially with his power, and partially with the Shadow's will, the blotted, inky blade darted towards his target.

Minato of course, didn't expect getting to it to be easy. This was exactly why… He just let his Shadow dodge on its own. An Agilao was countered by his earlier Red Wall spell, but at this point, it wasn't even necessary.

His Shadow swerved away from the blast of fire. "Bufula," Minato whispered.

A cackle emerged from the blade as it stuck into the Crying Table, making it release an unsettling hiss before a high pitched screech thundered through the room. Ichor splattered across the floor, coming from the stabs of ice of the infectious Shadow. "Hmph."

All the while, Minato stood unfazed, merely commanding it to go on to the next. "I thought you'd be tougher, but no…" He inclined his head. "Ah well. At least no-one can complain that they got hurt. Because really, they didn't," Minato whispered.

In a timely, vicious fashion, the rest of the Shadows were vanquished.

"We won, huh…" Akihiko folded his arms and looked upon Minato with approval. "You're strong and smart…" And ruthless. "Those aren't bad traits for a leader. I'm gonna have to apologise… I was ready to lead the team after I got better, but I think you might top my skills."

Mitsuru chimed in, "It's true… It's unfortunate, but Akihiko can be rather… _reckless_, sometimes." The statement earned her a snort from the aforementioned senior. "Anyways, I believe you should all return. What have we learned today?"

"Deflecting magic attacks, I guess?" What Yukari had seen the Shadows do to block Minato's initial Mabufula attack could be a useful tactic.

And indeed… "Uh, talking to other people to get them out of danger?" She wouldn't have been ready for the Crying Table's next attack if he hadn't called out to her.

"A strong command sense, teamwork… Intelligence, agility and ruthlessness." Akihiko smirked.

She chuckled. "Well… Yes. You're all right." Mitsuru breathed out a sigh of relief. "Anyway, let's go home."

Home, huh? Minato barely paid attention to the others' banter as he picked up the remnants of the Crying Tables' masks. He closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable onslaught of questions as to what the hell he'd done to his Shadow earlier to make it change into the form of a sword.

Mitsuru took the silence and continued, "It is true that Shadows have the power to perhaps warp time and space… It wouldn't be all that surprising to see them change their own forms too, by their own power, or by using someone else's as a source."

"Well, I'm not surprised. We see them go from the incognito forms to their actual ones all the time," Akihiko pointed out. "Maybe that's just an advanced version of that so that Minato here can change them into whatever shape he wants instead."

Minato elaborated, "Yeah. I can change them into anything I want. But anything other than incognito and their actual forms tends to take more energy."

"Interesting…" Mitsuru mused aloud. "However, we can continue this at another time. The Dark Hour will soon end."

…

Dogs had a way of making themselves too cute to leave alone.

The next day, while Minato was walking back to the dorm, he was stopped by a small, albino shiba-inu with a light grey coat and bright, red eyes, the colour of blood. Oddly enough, it was also wearing a plain garment of some kind on its upper body. It barked up at him, as if in greeting and nuzzled his leg.

What half of his mind was spent thinking that he should just keep going was demolished. It was just… Too cute. Minato also seldom dealt with any animals, making him very unsure as to how to deal with the dog.

"Koromaru!"

He let out a happy yip towards the direction of the voice. It came from an elementary schoolboy, with an orange hoodie worn loosely over his uniform. "Why'd you run off over here, Koromaru-san?" he asked, puffing as he tried catching his breath.

The dog's name must've been Koromaru, then. "Arf!" Koromaru ran in a circle around Minato, tail wagging all the while. Wonder what made the dog so attracted to him?

The dog let out a happy yip and turned towards the direction of the voice. Behind was a boy with brown hair and eyes, lightly tanned skin, orange hoodie and elementary uniform. "Why'd you run off here Koromaru?" he asked, puffing.

"Arf!" Minato assumed the dog's name was Koromaru then. Koromaru ran around in a circle around Minato, making him raise an eyebrow. Even he wasn't sure why the dog was so attracted to him.

"U-Um… sorry about Koromaru-san," the boy apologised with a bow.

He just shrugged. No. Minato wasn't sure how to deal with children, either. "It's fine. No harm done," he replied.

The boy looked at him with a smile of relief. "Thank you. My name is Ken Amada," he introduced, bowing to his senior.

"Minato Arisato."

Ken nodded. "Nice to meet you, Arisato-san." He glanced at Koromaru. "Uh, I'm sorry, but I need to take Koromaru back to the shrine. It's getting a bit late…" Mutter, mutter. Something about Koromaru being too fast. Mutter, mutter.

Minato raised an eyebrow. "Not yours?" He'd assumed that Ken was Koromaru's owner, considering he knew his name.

"No, actually. Koromaru lives at Naganaki Shrine, where his old owner used to live. He was a priest but he died in an accident. Koromaru still walks the same way that his old owner used to take him on, and tries to take care of the shrine too," Ken explained with a sad smile, petting Koromaru. "He's really loyal, huh?"

He decided to put away his brief questioning as to how Koromaru would be able to take care of the shrine. Maybe they were just things that people with opposable thumbs could never comprehend. It was a story similar to another dog named Hachikou, who was revered in the Shibuya area. "I'd say so."

"W-Well, I should be going now…"

"You sure?"

"Yeah… Maybe I'll see you another time, Arisato-san," Ken replied. The two of them then set off towards Naganaki Shrine.

Despite the age difference, Minato couldn't help but feel that he'd perhaps meet Ken once more. Before he could even take another step, he was interrupted by a familiar "Hello, Minato."

He briefly bowed at the approaching Sachiko. "What are you doing here?"

"I was on my way back home actually," she replied with a wry smile, trying to suppress her puffed out breaths. "Some people didn't welcome me warmly as I was investigating, however. I doubt they're still chasing me now but… Could I stay with you for a while until the commotion dies down a little?"

Minato nodded. "Alright. You can stay at the dorm for a bit, I guess."

"Glad to hear it."

* * *

**Edited: 15/04/16**

**AN: Not much to say. I just shortened the fight for the most part. Other than that, it was just some minor fixes, details and rephrasing.**

**Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	13. Friendly Suspicion

Sachiko's mental note: Minato took his damn, sweet time when it came to relaxing.

First, he had to spend a few minutes getting the right position. Was it at the counter? The table in the kitchen area? The lounge area? Okay. The couches? What about the armchair. Nah, the couch closer to the door was comfier, and he had someone with him.

Then he went for the music. Minato spent a few seconds or so on every Iron Maiden song that he came across before hopping to another suggestion. Then, after many minutes, he finally closed his eyes. "Do you do that _every_ time?" she asked.

"No… My bed's easy," he replied, making Sachiko roll her eyes. "So… Who were you being chased by, exactly?" Minato asked.

She pursed her lips. "I believe they may have been the culprits of the apathy killings. Other Shadow Whisperers."

"You've given me a morbid curiosity now… I want to know who they are but… I suppose I shouldn't go…" Minato murmured.

Shrug. "Up to you. I have to go home sometime anyways… So maybe this kind of confrontation is inevitable," she replied. "I'm just glad I have someone on my side who could help me out." Her look was pointed straight at him.

Really, he didn't know how to feel about how Sachiko seemed to trust him. Was it good, or bad? "Don't get your hopes up…" Minato muttered as he stood and made his way to the entrance of the dormitory.

The doors swung open with the slightest sigh. It was just the flickering afternoon as it passed into evening and the wind tinged with the breath of sea foam. "Do you think they got a good look at you?" he asked, returning to Sachiko's seat on the sofa.

"I don't believe so, but I could be wrong," she answered. "Anyways, I'm sorry to say… I can't stay here forever. As much as I'd like to stay safe… My notes are mostly at home."

"Arisato?"

A shiver coursed down his spine, and his neck creaked with frost as he turned towards the stairs. "Mitsuru-senpai." As the discourse continued, Sachiko finally saw the cause of Minato's ire. The school's council president.

All the while, she kept that cool expression of hers. "I just heard someone and I wanted to make sure it was you. I didn't expect to find more company, however." Mitsuru turned towards Sachiko. "What is your name and your business here?"

"Sachiko Kagami," she intoned. Undeterred by Mitsuru's quietly commanding aura, she replied with a sprinkling of contempt, "Minato was helping me with something."

Mitsuru raised an eyebrow at their apparent familiarity. What was he helping her with? Why in the dorm? Why did they know each other?

Unfortunately, while Sachiko was safer this way, it also meant that he'd have to tell Mitsuru about the other group of Shadow Whisperers sooner than later. "I'll fill you in later. Sachiko needs to go home first.

Her eyes widened. From 'chan' to nothing, huh? "I see. Take care and make sure you're back before it gets late." The pointed look was a clear reason—the Dark Hour, of course.

With a sigh, Minato beckoned Sachiko out the dorm. "Who is she, your mum?"

"Well, she doesn't know that you know," he replied. "And because I just noticed… I didn't mean to drop off the honorific."

Sachiko shook her head. "No, it's fine. It sounds pretty good, actually." She smiled slightly. Guess despite whatever Minato might say, he might've considered her to at least be somewhat of a friend. There was something oddly comforting about that. Maybe it was just because she hadn't had a friend like this either. Not someone who understood exactly what struggles came with her power. Not someone who accepted such power and seemed to care about her. "And… Thanks for escorting me."

"It's fine. Wouldn't want you to get hurt," he replied. "But you're going to have to lead the way. I don't know where you live."

She sighed. "Well, it's a good thing I value my life over privacy more." Sachiko gave him an amused smile. "I mean, I _hope_ you don't just randomly stalk people in the night. I can trust you with that, right?"

Truthfully, she was dipping her finger into the waters of trust. "Pfft. There's a line for a lot of things. That's not something I'm even going to toe." Minato scoffed at the thought. It seemed they were warm.

After a few minutes of squeezing through the strip mall and the streets surrounding it, Minato asked "Are we almost there?" as he looked around the streets.

"Almost." Sachiko paused, wondering if she'd heard what she thought in the background. "Where are you? Show yourselves," she demanded in whispers.

Minato almost managed to hear it out of earshot. "Impressive. Looks like someone has some sharp ears."

"I thought we were going to stop with the dramatics," a female voice scolded.

He nudged Sachiko's hand, as if to reassure her, and let her take his. "It's almost midnight," Minato muttered to himself. This was bad… He pursed his lips and murmured, "I'm not worried about Mitsuru. So I think I can afford to be late. I'll try to draw them away from you."

"Feeling the concern, huh?" she said teasingly. Minato narrowed his eyes as if to say 'are you kidding me right now?' Her smirk faded. "You better not get into trouble either."

As Minato turned to face the streets, he heard, "If I didn't know any better, I'd ship you two together!"

"Haha, very funny," he spat.

Then the Dark Hour fell. The group that had been following the two of them made themselves known in the dim moonlight.

The first had eye bags which seemed to be the only thing that weighed down her small, ball of sunshine dress and hair. The second was tall-dark-and-emo, meticulous fingers pressed up against the frame of his glasses. The third was a perpetual frown and clenched teeth smile with wild hair in style and colour, wearing an oversized band t-shirt.

The very last was the eye opener. Built and pale with accents of dark green in his eyes and clothes, the teen stared Minato down with nothing but solemnity and recognition. It was him, not the look, which scared Minato. "Kishimaru…?"

He didn't respond with any friendly greeting or a smile, but Shadow whispers. "Chase him."

Shadows began filling every space in the street, blotting out what little light managed to peek in. Clicking his tongue (regret, regret, regret, regret), Minato backed off. He had so many questions that he wanted to ask but the other Shadow whisperers cut off his train of thought with a chorus of chanting. A wall of Shadows towered over Minato's vision, threatening to spill over him.

First instinct: Run.

"Sho!" he hissed, releasing the Chariot Shadow. "Get me out of here!"

"You got it!" The Brave Wheel let Minato on before revving away to the dorm. Haha. Maybe if he _was_ quicker, he wouldn't have gotten into that impossibly strange situation. "What the hell kind of trouble did you get into?"

Minato pursed his lips. "There are more Shadow whisperers than I thought, Sho… They were commanded to attack me, for whatever reason. But I think it was a good decision that I didn't stay." For a moment, he glanced towards the roaring hisses of Shadow ink.

The lurch and squelch of incognito Shadow flesh was hot on their heels. Even as Minato neared the doorstep of the dormitory, they rushed towards the two in a buzzing swarm. "This is going to hurt…" Minato muttered with a grimace. "Kishimaru!" Without recalling Sho, the two Shadows stood side by side and awaited orders, staring down the Shadow wave with every ounce of determination that they could muster.

Mitsuru burst out the door behind him, clutching her Evoker. "Arisato! I sensed a large amount of Shadows! Do you require assistance?"

He shook his head. "I have this." Minato narrowed his eyes, focusing his will to allow Kishimaru and Sho to siphon more of his spiritual power. "Kishimaru! Sho! Agidyne and Garudyne together!" As a sacrifice to the hefty course of action, his tongue was awash with blood and a new wound, nearly making him choke midsentence.

"Destroy them destroy them destroy destroy—"

A velvety smooth voice wracked his mind, corrupting the message, splicing words and sounds together of different intent until it was a completely unrecognisable command. Minato shivered and continued trembling as energy was ripped away from him in a blue haze.

The forms of Kishimaru and Sho morphed into incognito forms before the two spheres joined, cohering in a slimy mesh. The newly incognito Shadow reformed, appearing as a traditional knight riding on a lion-headed steed. Instead of the emptiness underneath, there was a wheel, blaring with yellow, amber flames.

Minato stared in abject horror, notes of glee playing lowly at the back of his mind. He dropped to a knee, barely able to keep his eyes open as a foreign, yet familiar force strung up his body, and in turn, the Shadow.

Now raging with cloaks of wind and flame, the Shadow roared into the abyssal wall, baring its lance. As its point touched Shadow flesh, an explosion of fire like the old sun's supernova engulfed the Shadow wave in an eye searing flash.

Rain hailed from the sky, ink droplets swallowing the surroundings in the blackness of a hole ripped through the fabric of time and space. The two Shadows separated and returned to their page form inside Minato's compendium before he fell to the floor, clothes and body stained in the blood of his adversaries. He could barely keep his eyes open, or even lift a finger.

His spiritual power was more or less completely drained. "Arisato! Stay with me!" Mitsuru ran to his side and forced a blue ball of something into his mouth. It was an effort to chew at all. "Is it just spiritual fatigue?"

"I… guess…" Minato rasped, trying to focus his vision on what could've been behind the wave of Shadows. "Do you see anyone…?"

Mitsuru also gave the area a once over. "No. I don't see anyone," she answered. "Are you suggesting that someone else was responsible for that… wall of Shadows?"

He gave a grunt of affirmation, obviously not wanting to waste his breath on a 'yeah'. "They were controlled… By other Shadow whisperers…"

Her eyes widened, thoughts racing through her mind. "They used the same power to attack you…?" Not only were there more Shadow Whisperers other than Minato in the city which could control large amounts of Shadows, but they were using them to attack him.

She had no doubt that these Shadow Whisperers had some strange motive behind their actions. Mitsuru did want to know exactly what it was, because from what little she heard from Minato… they were malicious. They attacked people. He let on later that they were likely responsible for the so called 'apathy killings' that were happening around the city.

There was something else troubling her; something that dealt less with the new enemies, but with Minato.

If Shadow Whisperers, people like him, were able to control Shadows for malicious means… what stopped Minato from using his powers to attack SEES? She saw earlier. The two Shadows he had summoned somehow fused together into a devastating new force. After the Shadow attacked, they defused and returned to Minato's compendium. With just that one attack, so many Shadows were destroyed.

"Yeah. I don't know who they are." It was three-quarters true.

Kishimaru Fukawa was the exception. The host of the first Shadow that he'd ever purified. And apparently… a Shadow whisperer.

"This is…" Mitsuru shook her head. "We will discuss this later. Get some rest." She hoisted Minato onto her shoulder, walking him into the dorm.

* * *

**Edited: 19/04/16**

**AN: Yay, I detailed the new Shadow's kickassery a little bit this time. Otherwise, not much has changed. Just some tweaks to Sachiko and Minato's interaction and some reordering for Mitsuru. Also just changed the Shadow whisperers' descriptions so hopefully that was a bit more informative! **

**As a note since it isn't really necessary for the story... Minato's summoning of Shadows is through the use of his spiritual power. ****He gives up spiritual energy to partially fuel his Shadow's attacks and actions to make them more powerful, and can use his spiritual energy to help them form into anything which isn't their incognito or their actual forms, which would include things like forming them into blades or pages in his book. This Shadow Fusion is the same principle, but applied to changing the forms of two Shadows into a single one! Neato? I thought it was a bit neato.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	14. Unwinding Mechanics

No control. No understanding. Just fear.

Although Minato didn't consider himself to be an expert on human interaction, even he could see the apprehension Mitsuru carried around him, like prey cautiously scouting a caged predator. After all, she'd just discovered the existence of other Shadow whisperers that had been using their powers for what appeared to be less than savoury purpose.

'Who was to say that he couldn't do the same?'

Not that he'd _ever_ go around massacring others. Minato, truthfully, couldn't stand the thought of killing anybody. There was only one exception.

"Yeah, I agree. You're antisocial; that doesn't necessarily mean you're a knife-wielding sociopath," Sachiko agreed. He rolled his eyes at her incredibly astute observation. "I'm being completely serious about you not out to kill anyone though. I don't get the feeling that you're really like that."

He tried not to linger on the warmth trickling into his stomach. Like hot chocolate. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, I guess…" Minato sighed.

Sachiko couldn't help but smirk. "Someone has to, if the school president hasn't chosen to adopt you yet."

"Ha, ha. Very funny," he said, with the flatness and liveliness of a bricked bug.

The two of them chatted with each other about the usage of metaphors in conveying meaning before parting ways at the school gate, seeing as Sachiko had some work to do. Their meeting at lunch and after class helped to lift the weight of Mitsuru's reminder: TELL ME EVERYTHING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT WOOHOO HUGE BITCH BLUH BLUH.

He expected that the rest of his day was going to be similarly rocked by his next trip to the Velvet Room. Minato had intended to unwind (or get even more wound up because who the hell knew) by taking on some more of Elizabeth's requests and ask the residents if they had any advice on his new display of power.

Needless to say, the two of them looked to be thoroughly intrigued. "So you say that your two… 'purified' Shadows came together in a single form in a process reminiscent of Persona fusion?" Elizabeth summarised.

"I didn't say that it was like Persona fusion but…"

Igor chuckled. "I believe you may be surprised… Shadows have many striking similarities to the Personas that you and others host." His grin widened, the mysterious Cheshire cat influence he had surely growing. "Would you like me to divulge? Or perhaps I should withhold such information…?" His soft laughs continued.

Sigh. "You have me interested…"

"Well, for now… Let us say that Shadow and Persona are so similar, that their process of fusion, were it not for the forms that they took, are also similar at their core," he continued in his cryptic manner. "Because the Velvet Room does not possess any facilities for the fusion of Shadows—you may indeed say that we are simply not allowed, even if I wanted to offer you such—you must use your own strength to bind the Shadows together. _That_ is why Persona fusion is permanent, while your methods of Shadow fusion are not. Do you understand?"

Minato pursed his lips. "I guess." And that explained why all of his spiritual energy was drained. The fusion process lapped it up—more like just sucked the life out of him. "Thanks…"

"We are most welcome any time, Minato-sama." Elizabeth gave him a curtsy. "Did you have any more business here today?"

He closed his eyes, bracing himself. For what? He wasn't completely sure. "Do you want… to go anywhere?" Minato, realising what he'd just said, backtracked with "In terms of your requests."

Her eyes lit up. "Oh, of course!" Elizabeth placed her hands together and walked daintily to Minato's side. "Could you show me the place you call the Iwatodai Strip Mall?" When she held her hand out, however hesitantly, Minato took her by the wrist.

The train ride to the mall went by, somehow managing without incident, to get her ticket and while away the minutes. "Why don't you hold my hand like that lovely couple there?" Elizabeth asked, obviously not paying attention to the volume of her voice as she pointed to the two girls.

Minato spluttered as his music was cut into. "It's usually a romantic gesture," he muttered, at least loud enough for her to hear. "And… It's easier to control where you're going," Minato quieted so she wouldn't hear at all.

As she nodded, the crowd (and the couple, especially) shuffled around awkwardly, still reeling from her outburst.

They reached the station a few minutes later, where she first came into contact with a most devious device. Nope. Not the turnstiles. Not the ticket machines.

"What… do you call this most mischievous contraption?" Elizabeth asked, staring down as it wound, without incident, below her.

He steeled himself for what would most certainly be a regretful hour. "It's an escalator. You go down it." Minato turned to the other. "When you're at the bottom, you go up the other escalator."

"And what off the set of stairs centred between?"

Minato thought or a moment, gaze hardening on the _station_ary steps. "Sometimes the escalators don't work. Or people use them because sometimes the escalators get crowded," he tried explaining, realising this: He took a lot of the things in his world for granted.

"You mean to say that they _don't_ just go on perpetually in that same motion? They're able to, all day?" she said in awe. "How is that possible?"

He rubbed the back of his head. "Electricity. It's like Zio, I guess." Truthfully, he did know what it was, but he wasn't looking forward to explaining what electrons were and the components of molecules at an atomic level.

"How interesting..." Elizabeth murmured. After a few moments of deliberation, nose poised and flitting through the air, she shot towards her next destination down the down escalator.

Minato blinked and followed her at a slower pace at first.

"Hey! Watch out!"

Her shoulders were pulled towards the sidewalk, away from the car that zoomed past her. In the aftermath of the fuming honks from its horn, she felt her back pressed against a certain someone's chest. "Minato-sama?"

Even his voice was barely muted for a few split seconds as _something_ like adrenaline, she thought, passed through her system. "Geez woman, you need to be more careful!" he scolded before finally letting go of her.

Elizabeth knew that even if she was to be hit by that, it was likely that the car would've sustained more damage than her. Of course, Minato didn't know that. "I… I'm sorry?" She inclined her head after turning to face him. "I would've been alright, Minato-sama. There was no need to worry!" she tried reassuring.

His eyes widened and he had everything to protest to what she'd just said. Shoulders eventually sagging, however, Minato growled, "Just… Don't scare me like that." Her head inclined, he continued with renewed bitterness, "And don't even say something like 'whoa, he's concerned about me.' Holy _fuck_ I've been getting a lot of that lately…"

She… Didn't quite understand why he'd added that. Elizabeth wasn't about to say anything of the sort. Wasn't it natural to express gratitude in the manner that she did rather than answering with some sort of patronising line of questioning? She decided not to pursue it further and eventually crossed the road under Minato's guidance with greater care.

A guttural breath of relief escaped from his lips. She was safe. Why was he relieved? Why did he start caring so much more, all of a sudden? Minato gritted his teeth as Elizabeth trotted over to the takoyaki stand named Octopia. Was this what had drawn her here?

"I must confirm my suspicions…" The vendor looked upon the two with a beaming smile. "And try this mysteriously alluring food!" As she was about to step forward, Minato was already ahead, asking for a box of takoyaki.

Elizabeth, with quandaries floating in her mind, was drawn towards his finger, which was pointed to the series of orders and prices printed on the sign near the shop. "Here." She faced an impassive Minato, who was biting onto a stick of takoyaki and holding out the box which contained another two. "It's really cheap," he said with a slightly muffled voice. "Don't need to do what you did with the fountains."

His embarrassed expression was obvious. It just wasn't because of the 'fountain spirits'. "I see… You have my gratitude, Minato-sama." Minato's mind backpedalled to just moments earlier as the vendor had asked him whether they were on a date. If it came to a time when he was dating the embarrassingly naïve Velvet Room attendant, he'd definitely think that he was crazy.

As she ate, confirming her nose's suspicions, Elizabeth saw how slowly he was eating compared to her. "Do you not like the food?" she asked. What if she'd forced him into such an unsavoury position by helping to entertain her curiosity?

"It's just… hard to eat," he mumbled, looking dourly at his tentative nibbles. Minato was surprised that he could talk without being interrupted by a stab of pain in his tongue that whole day. It was even worse because he'd wanted to eat so much faster.

Elizabeth began poking at Minato's cheeks. "Your cheeks aren't falling off, are they? Perhaps I should've taken the sign's caution to heart," she murmured, poking her own cheeks with her other hand.

He pursed his lips, trying not to let his embarrassment show. "No, it's because of… my tongue," Minato tried explaining.

"Your tongue is falling off!?" she gasped.

Minato sighed. "No… Cuts appear in my tongue from talking to Shadows. Like with what happened last night." After a moment's deliberation, she procured a ceramic bottle from her apparently bottomless purse. "What's that?"

"It is a Soma!" Elizabeth smiled. "I had originally intended to give you something else for your trouble, leading me around this area. But instead, I'll give you this. I should soothe your tongue and stop the bleeding for a short while."

His eyes widened. "Really." All other remedies had tried and failed. He wasn't getting his hopes up.

She nodded. "Now, drink up! By rationing it, you can use it more than once. You can use a whole bottle's contents to heal your allies' wounds and restore their spiritual power during the Dark Hour. I shall give you three of them."

"O-Oh... Thanks," Minato mumbled, hesitantly taking the rewards. Opening one of the Soma bottles with a subtle sniff (it smelled a bit like lemonade) he took a small sip of the clear liquid. The taste, however, was comparable to cough medicine, centrum tablets and vegemite.

He nearly recoiled at the overwhelming mixture of palates, which probably shouldn't have been 'satisfied' all at the same time. After forcing it down, he noticed a distinct lack of stinging and a sense of revitalisation gently washing his mouth clean. "How do you feel?"

"Better…" His eyes were fixed on his food, and then on Elizabeth. "Uh… Thanks." After awkwardly scratching the back of his head, he resumed nibbling on the food.

She inclined her head. "No, no. It is I, thanking you!" Minato didn't respond, eyes cast down towards the floor. "There isn't any pain while you eat, is there?"

"N-No."

Elizabeth seemed satisfied at that and continued to inhale the steaming food with gusto. "You said… You were confirming something here?" Minato asked her.

"Indeed! I detected an ingredient in this… concoction." She scrutinised the food through her squint. "Delicious, indeed… But certainly not something that should be used in normal circumstances of cooking!"

"Which is?"

She ate the last of her serving, as if believing that Minato would try to examine hers for any sign of the 'forbidden' ingredient, whatever it was. "Not something meant for human ears."

Of course. "Right." He gave yet another sigh, seeing that was the end of the line for that train of thought.

"Hey uh…" Minato rubbed the back of his head, cheeks and head whirling with embarrassment at Elizabeth's possible responses. "Can I just call you Elizabeth? No honorific?"

At first, she was struck by wonder but eventually, she couldn't help but smile. "Why, I do not mind at all, Minato-sama."

"And you can drop the 'sama'. I-I find it a bit weird to be called like that," he quickly added.

Shock flashed across her face. "Why, Minato-sama! I'm afraid that may have to take some getting used to," she exclaimed, covering her mouth as she realised her mistake. "But I suppose… If you feel that it is more convenient for you, I will try my best to keep it in mind…"

His usually grave expression softened. "Alright. Thanks." Minato bit his lip, reminded of what he was supposed to do that afternoon. He finally finished the last of his takoyaki with that thought. "Oh… I have to go… to a meeting, I guess…"

"Ah, of course! I should not keep you from any prior engagements," Elizabeth seemed to agree. As she stood, Minato couldn't help but notice how her normally glowing expression was peeled away to reveal her dimly, disappointed countenance. "I wish I could stay longer but I suppose, for your sake, I should be seen home…"

The stone of his features caved in. "N-No, wait, Elizabeth. I'll take you back to the Velvet Room," Minato interrupted her forlorn thoughts.

There she went, glittering with glee. "Would you? It seems that I may have a gentleman for a master."

Minato held out his hand. "I wouldn't go that far."

She blinked in confusion. "Where to?" Elizabeth took it.

He shook his head, trying to suppress a smile.

Classic Elizabeth.

* * *

**Edited: 29/04/16**

**AN: Shipping? What's that? Sounds edible. *shot***

**I shortened this chapter and moved the meeting to the next... And Elizabeth's date with Minato was nicer. Yeah. Nicer. Whoops. I felt that this was a break kind of chapter, so I removed the heavy stuff and loaded it so the mood would be more consistent. **

**Besides, who doesn't like Elizabeth/Minato fluff? I feel like their dialogue is a bit more natural in this edit.**

**Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed making Elizabeth and Minato get along. **

**Also bonus points if anyone caught the really obvious Homestuck reference.**


	15. Expectant Skies

The first rains of the year matched the day's mood.

Sky tears plastered a blue mask of hair onto his face, soaking his uniform with a forlorn mix of warm and cold weight. "I don't understand. Why are you here, after me?" Minato asked, turning away from Yukari's narrowed gaze.

She groaned, propping her umbrella against her shoulder. "Don't you see? It's exactly _that_. That's why I'm here." Yukari sighed and closed her eyes. "So. I'm not going to say this twice. Your attitude pisses me off but I think we need to fix this, even just enough so that we can function as a team."

"Aren't we?"

Another groan. "Look… Telling me won't hurt. I did it to you earlier." Yukari kept down her seething. Was his aim to get a cold? "And get some shelter from the rain."

His eyes were cast towards the sea of night, blotted with arrays of violet, pink and orange smashing together in a broken gradient, and fogged over by the clouds sprawled across their death beds. "Fine." Koromaru, followed the two of them to the shrine, sidling up between the two's legs. "Well, the Shadow Fusion hasn't exactly gotten me on everyone's good side." He smiled wryly at their loyal companion.

"Do you mean the meeting, or the Tartarus trip the next day?" Yukari asked, thinking back to both.

Also, "Both." Their minds retraced their steps to two days ago.

After his trip with Elizabeth, he didn't expect much friendly reception. In fact, he'd walked her back _just_ to delay the inevitable. She probably didn't notice though.

The glares or stares or whatever the hell kind of looks he was being given were like spears pressed up against his throat. "I thought it would be prudent to include everyone's thoughts on the matter," Mitsuru spoke up as Minato dragged his feet towards the couch Junpei and Yukari were sitting on. Akihiko and surprisingly enough, Ikutsuki, were also sitting, each in armchairs. "So, care to explain?"

"As I going back to the dorm from the shrine, I met a friend who said she was being followed by a bunch of shady people," Minato intoned. "So I took her to the dorm, seeing as they likely wouldn't enter an occupied building.

"Senpai saw me as we were waiting it out and I decided to take my friend back to her house after a while." He glanced towards Mitsuru, expecting her to confirm it. She gave a nod of approval in response. "About two-thirds the way there, the same people were there and they were speaking in Shadow Whispers."

Yukari and Akihiko's eyes widened. "A bunch of shady people following your friend that know how to speak in Shadow Whispers?" she thought aloud. Junpei did the same, but faded into a frown and gritted grin. "Why?"

"It's Sachiko, huh?" Junpei surmised aloud.

He levelled a glare on Junpei, but nodded begrudgingly. "I'll get to it. By the time that they showed up, it was almost the Dark Hour. There were four of them, looking around my age." He, of course, neglected to mention that he recognised one of them. Minato could see them lumping him in with them already. "As a team, they summoned a large group of Shadows in what I'm calling a Shadow Wave. It's exactly like it sounds. Sachiko…" He sighed. "She thinks that this Shadow Wave is responsible for the Apathy Killings and that may have been why they were following her. I was chased by it, but I managed to get away using one of my Shadows and stopped off at the dorm."

"Following what my Persona had sensed and the commotion from outside, I stepped out to assess the situation and offer assistance to Arisato," Mitsuru continued. "Before I was able to call you three for help, however, I witnessed something unusual…"

"I summoned more Shadows to fight but…" He pursed his lips, but not exactly out of lack of understanding. "Somehow… The two of them fused together."

Ikutsuki's impassive expression twitched with a smile. "It is true that Shadows are speculated to wield some control over space and time. Perhaps this is a product of that ability," he thought aloud, breaking the crowd's stunned, confused, angered silence.

Minato said nothing. Honestly, he didn't know how or why it happened; only that it was a process similar to Persona Fusion. Should he say? "I heard a voice…" he murmured.

"A voice?" Akihiko muttered.

Recalling the voice sent pleasant freeze scourging through his veins. "Smooth, deep… And it somehow changed… What I was saying…" As stupid as he knew he was being by letting these words come out, Minato stopped at its exact words. "And that, I guess, triggered them to fuse. I don't know. It took all my energy, killed the Shadow Wave and I almost blacked out after that."

"That's some cool story…" Minato snapped towards Junpei, who'd donned a mockery of his trademark grin. "But ain't that really dangerous? I mean, you said you almost blacked out after you did that? _And_ we have evil team versions of you running around and murdering people!"

"Hey now… He hasn't attacked us yet," Akihiko pointed out with a smirk. "Besides… This has been happening for a lot longer. Longer than he's been here. He's probably not a part of that group so let's not get ahead of ourselves." He looked pointedly at Yukari and Junpei. Mostly Junpei. "If you're _afraid_ of him because of what had just happened last night, you better sort it out."

His knuckles turned pale with heat. "As if I'd be scared of him!"

Minato muttered an "_I_ would be afraid" to himself before letting Mitsuru and Ikutsuki finish up the 'discussion'. Briefing? Whatever. The bottom line was that he could feel the thin ice, pun not intended.

The day after that, he'd decided to make a Tartarus trip to make some progress and get some of Elizabeth's requests out of the way. All the way through, a faint cacophony of whispers prickled, needled, pierced into the back of his mind. Nothing distinct. He could only pick out a few phrases.

"It's good that you listen to me."

"I love you more than anything in the world."

"Please do as I say…"

By the time he'd gotten to the next Tartarus guardian, Minato could barely focus on his surroundings, which blurred and sharpened like the viewfinder of a jittery cameraman. "Like before, surround it," he commanded.

As he spoke, the words were taken, distorted, became whispers, his compendium thrashed in his grip, and his arms became near limp. With the jerky, capriciousness of a torn marionette, Minato felt his arms moving to unleash Sho and Kishimaru in their incognito forms.

"The hell are you doing?!" Junpei exclaimed, trying to wrench the book away from him.

Signalled by the appearance of the two Shadows, the Tartarus guardian rushed towards the forming Shadow. Even as he'd finally forced Minato's compendium away from his weakened grip, the damage was already done.

Tendrils of blue energy drew wispy lines towards the amorphous blot, entangling it and infusing within the shadowy cocoon. A roaring gust of flames surged towards the enemy, blasting it to smithereens.

The voice came closer, louder, filling his ears and mind with memories. Lanterns swinging like fairies in moonlight dances, drifting in the breath of Tokyo summers filled with dry sun.

"Quickly, get him some spiritual energy supplements!" Mitsuru barked in the background. "Hold off the Shadow as best you can!" While issuing orders, the fused Shadow known as the Brave Knight flung a ball of flame towards Yukari.

Minato heard not Mitsuru's voice, but another, familiar, dreadful one which he'd hoped not to hear again. "Minato-chan, is there something you want before we go?" In the memory, he watched his younger self nod back eagerly, and the two of them approached a candy apple stall. It was nearly midnight. He was a little excited to be up at that time since he'd usually go to sleep early.

The Dark Hour usually went unnoticed, but not this time. When Minato saw his surroundings turn dark and sap green, his nose was arrested by the stench of iron, threatening to heave out the contents of his stomach. His aunt was replaced, or maybe locked up in a coffin. "Ugh, that Minato child… What a nuisance…" He looked around frantically for the whisper, forcing down his gut. It was closest to the coffin.

"W-What are you saying...? Y-You don't like me?" Normally, the Shadows of another person would not respond to an outsider, but no-one could refuse him when he spoke in their tongue.

"Are you kidding?! I hate you!"

A summoned Hermes took the blast for Yukari, coming out more or less unscathed. "Urgh! This thing's tough!" Junpei growled, tasting the transferral of pain.

She breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thanks!" Yukari called to Junpei. She dug through her supply pack, fishing out any Snuff or Chewing Souls that she could find.

Minato, in memory, backed away in horror from the Shadow. "W-Why? What did I do…?"

"You are my sister's curse. You are my burden. You were not supposed to come here," she answered. "You are my burden…"

He backed into the front of the stall, heart pumping too fast to be normal, but each pulse feeling like a minute each. No words could even attempt to escape him. Burden. It stabbed into him, over and over, hammering his mind into a molten mess, breaking his muscles and bones. He breathed and rasped in unison with another voice: the one he would come to recognise as _that_ voice.

In retaliation, the Brave Knight fired a beam of wind energy into Hermes, shredding it like paper. Junpei let out a strangled cry before hitting the ground, in pain, and then out of consciousness. "Iori!" Akihiko gritted his teeth, Yukari barely able to register the hope draining spectacle before shoving a blue ball of energy into Minato's mouth, forcing him to masticate and swallow.

He remembered the way that other wispy Shadow voices hung, lingered in the air, the acrid atmosphere weighing down on his shocked body. The boy, Minato, slid down the stall, any strength left in his legs cast away to try handling the chains squeezing his lungs and throat. "I'm… alone," he uttered, before breaking down in a rain of hiccups and tears.

"Snap out of it!"

Minato's eyes shot open, the memory apparently ending. Gleams of dissociation. Hyperventilating. His glazed, oddly blue eyes wandered over the room, landing on the unconscious Junpei. No way. He wasn't dead, was he? There was bad blood, but to _kill_ him? Unthinkable!

Now in focus, but still in a frantic state, his vision darted to the Brave Knight Shadow tangling with Polydeuces. Syringe against lance. "Un-fuse!" Minato hissed.

The Shadow paused in its motion, halting the sphere of flame it held in its latter hand. In a burst of blue energy, the Brave Knight burst into two separate swirls of amorphous goo before being yanked back into Minato's compendium.

Yukari watched Akihiko feed Junpei a Revival Bead before giving Minato a sigh.

Shaking her head out of the recollection, she muttered, "You better have an explanation."

Conceding that he had a lot of lost ground to make up for, he said, "While I was climbing… I heard that weird voice at the back of my head."

"Voice?"

Minato nodded. "And I can't quite catch what he's saying." He threw his gaze to the ground. She was probably looking at him as if he needed to see a counsellor. "But it kept getting louder, and louder… almost as if he was taunting me. Like he wanted me to lose control. And when I got there… I did. Or I don't even know. The voice just changed what I was saying, like it was overpowering me. I was going to tell you guys to surround the enemy but it came out in Shadow Whispers instead and…" His shoulders sagged. "The rest is history, I guess."

"Don't stop now. I know that isn't quite it." She narrowed her gaze. "You look more shaken than usual."

He laughed nervously. "Then… While my energy was being drained by the Shadows for fusion… The voice I guess… Gave me a memory that…" Minato shook his head. "Even if I said that I didn't want to talk about it, you'd probably demand that I say anyways."

Yukari pursed her lips. He wasn't wrong, but pointing it out made her feel guiltier. "It was around the summer festival when I was seven, after the accident. I was sent to live with my aunt and uncle." And of course, they appeared to take him well. They had a son of their own, a bit younger than Minato. Despite being related, they looked nothing alike. "So they took me to the summer festival. It was my first time staying up late. My uncle had come back late from work, but I still wanted to go with my family. I thought…

"I guess I thought I would belong with them." He pulled on an anxious smile. "It was nearly midnight. Up until then, I guess I never really was clear about the Dark Hour, or the voices of the Shadows. I just slept through it and I didn't notice getting an extra hour of sleep. I didn't know they were related," Minato explained. "Then… my aunt transmogrified into a coffin."

"And… You heard her Shadow?" she presumed. Yukari couldn't help but grimace as well, starting to see where the story was going.

He couldn't bring himself to say even a simple 'yes'. Just a nod. "She told me… I was a burden. To her. To her family. That she hated me," Minato lowered his voice. "I just… I couldn't really believe it. And then I just burst into tears, crying. I'd left my friends in Iwatodai and I was stuck in a family that secretly despised my existence. I can't imagine you know how that feels."

No. Out of place? Yes. As if she didn't matter? As if she was the thing that someone had just scraped off their shoe? No. Never. "I dared to ask her why she saw me as a burden." His smile grew wry. "I guess… Somehow, she might've placed the blame on me for her siblings' deaths. Kinda like a bad luck charm."

Minato sighed. "All the times I open up. That I start to want to connect with others. I don't care if you say that I'm running from it." He looked her straight in the eyes with a stone cold glare. "I kinda hate the fact that I'm starting to grow attached to SEES or anyone else. I don't know if I want to. I guess that happens when you know that you're seen as dirt by the few people that you're _supposed_ to trust."

She fell quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry."

His eyes widened. "S-Sorry?"

"Yeah." Yukari sighed. "I got worked up because… my mum. She's running from her problems. Jumping around from guy to guy. Been like that ever since my dad died," she tried explaining. "And… I hated to see someone else, my age, doing almost the same thing.

"I don't think it's an excuse to keep moping around, hoping that you don't connect with others, but that's not my choice, is it?" She laughed in mirth. "But I see where you're coming from." As Minato tried thinking of any response to that, Yukari continued with, "I think though… Whether you like it or not, how you feel about SEES is going to change. Maybe slowly." He opened his mouth to protest. "You basically told me a huge part of your story, didn't you?"

…He had no response to that.

"My turn." She raised an eyebrow. "Did you really come just to get that out of me?"

"No. I was… I was placing some offerings. For my dad," she answered. Minato somehow brought himself to chuckle. "What?"

He gave her a half smile. "I came to tell my parents what's been happening to me so far."

As Yukari's initial shock died down, she asked, "Do you think maybe they're thinking about what you said?"

Minato closed his eyes. "Maybe. What about you?"

"Maybe."

It had taken some minutes, but he managed to find their grave. He paid no attention to the epitaph, reflecting on what memories he had left of them.

Pieces of a puzzle drifting on river currents trickled into his mind, bringing a sad smile. All the seething rage, the apathy, the disbelief, the curiosity and the thirst for vengeance fuelled his actions. They were the only reasons why he was still alive.

Pain motivated him through pain. Sadness through sadness. Rage through rage. All he wanted to do now was salvage what truth he could from their deaths and maybe bring retribution to those responsible for their deaths. It was all that kept him from becoming a useless cause.

The bitter and the sweet pieces fitted together. Scolding him to be careful when he'd dropped a glass on the floor. When they pushed him and his friend on the shrine swings. The mp3 player and earphones he'd received on his birthday.

Abstraction. That kept him from touching them, feeling their fuzzy concern and their parental warmth. How he wanted to exchange the love and longing with them once again. He wondered whether they'd approve of the lonesome, danger-fraught road he'd been treading.

Not lonely. Just alone.

Sometimes, he wished it could be reversed. Minato swallowed his urges to break down in front of them. He put his hands together, he supposed, in prayer.

'I'm trying to find out what happened to you. I'm not sure whether I should make friends again yet. Please… Just don't hate me when I come join you guys.'

* * *

**Edited: 02/05/16**

**AN: I _think_ that the lines between what was a memory and what was happening at the time should've been clear enough. Or maybe not. I smooshed some of what was originally from the previous chapter, seeing as it was more related to this one. I also cut down a lot of the introspection and traded it for more Yukari and Minato exchanges, and I removed him bumping into Fuuka at the end. Didn't seem important enough and it broke up the flow of the mood.**

**...No, this doesn't mean I'm pairing Yukari and Minato. Calm yo' tits now, son. *inserts bird picture here***

**Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	16. The Edge of the Shadow

"You know who you're talking to, right?"

Sachiko couldn't help but laugh at the way Minato rolled his eyes. "I kid, I kid. But yes, I have heard about the rumours. I've been investigating them on the side myself," she answered him. "Why do you ask?"

It always started with the rumours. "Yukari—" Sachiko nodded as she recognised the name. "—has been a bit twitchy since Junpei told her about the ghost story. He got out a flashlight and turned off the lights." Minato's look deflated the more he remembered the 'show'. "And so she wanted to investigate them."

She smirked, folding her arms. Perhaps it was a detective's pride? "Well, I wouldn't mind telling you about the 'ghost story' if you don't mind hearing a bit more about the Shadow Whisperers that attacked me."

Minato chuckled. "Well, alright."

Three fingers. "I, of course, don't believe this incident is because of a ghost," Sachiko said. "I am, however, ready to concede that some other kind of supernatural force was involved.

"Three victims." She wiggled those fingers. "All found unconscious. When woken up, muttering things unintelligibly. In a vegetative state." Sachiko's grin faded. "They're trying to treat the three victims but it seems there's been no progress. It points to the symptoms of Apathy Syndrome."

He shook his head, groaning, "Of course. Yukari-san was worrying about it for nothing, but I guess we're going to have to get involved anyways." Minato sighed and looked back to her. "Also has anybody told you how incredibly detective-shounen-protagonist you sound like when you're talking about your cases?"

Her cheeks flushed at his words. "U-Uh…" Sachiko shook her head, 'no', covering her mouth. "No, no-one's told me that," she mumbled.

So she watched anime? Or at least Detective Conan? Good to know…? Minato blinked slowly. He had the impression that she'd gotten extremely embarrassed and decided not to press on it. "Well. Anyways… You said you wanted to talk about the Shadow Whisperers?"

"Y-Yeah. But just before that…" Sachiko rubbed the back of her head. "I did hear some suspicious things about the case. The 'student ghost' theory happened for a reason. Apparently a girl from 2-E hasn't been seen for at least a week." She pursed her lips. "Her name is Fuuka Yamagishi and… either she's been sick… or she's really missing."

Minato shuddered to think of her possible state. It could've gone from zero to eleven very quickly. "What do you think?"

She closed her eyes. "I believe she may actually be missing," Sachiko replied. "For one … I've heard that she may have been bullied at some point. For two…" She gave a wry smile. "It's just a gut feeling that I have. It's all conjecture and circumstantial or even downright baseless, but that's just what I feel."

"I guess it's all the more reason to get to the bottom of this," he murmured.

Sachiko nodded. "Good luck with it." Her chopsticks waded through her noodles, slowly stirring them. "Now, the Shadow Whisperers… I feel they may be connected to another group. I was solicited by another peer, who divulged the existence of a revenge website. Mind you, I've no intention to use it."

Of course. "They have a list of confirmed kills. After a bit of digging, I found that these people matched not only some of the shootings, but some of the apathy killings as well."

"What makes you think they're more separate to each other?"

She smiled slightly. "Heh, well, it's the MO. One group of them is exclusively by gunshot. The other is exclusively by the Shadow attacks, thus the apathy killings," Sachiko explained. "It's actually a clever idea… and despite the difficulties, they've been managing to cover their tracks. The media is treating the shootings and the apathy killings as if they were unrelated, but at their core, I have reason to believe that they may be connected through that list of confirmed kills."

"So there's even more people to worry about, huh?" Minato dragged his hand down his face. "Well, thanks for the warning. If they are the same, that means we might _also_ encounter them during the Dark Hour."

Sachiko nodded, smiling. "Yup. Be careful out there." She bit her lip. "I was just wondering though…"

"Do you… want me to talk to your Shadow again?" Minato asked, having anticipated her question.

"Yeah." She looked down at the ground.

After giving her a nod of affirmation, and stifling his sigh, Minato whispered, "Hey. How are you feeling?"

"A bit better, now that you're here," her Shadow replied. "Are you feeling okay?"

He was caught off guard. Minato had been given 'how are you' before, but they'd never asked in specific how he felt. "I… I'm fine. Thanks for asking," he replied. "What's up? Can you leave off from last time?"

Sachiko gave a sigh. "I've always gotten into arguments with my… father," she hesitated. "I've been getting even more of them lately, since I've been taking more cases in secret this year." Again, he felt her hand grasp his, warmth intermingling, like the comfort of hearth embers. "He's backhanded me more times than I'd care to count while giving me shouts and spittle."

Not knowing how, or when to respond, Minato just cast his eyes to the ground. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I'm just glad that you're with me." He saw her other hand reach for the tears beading up in her eyes. "Back when I didn't have powers, or if I did have them, I didn't know… It was alright, I guess. It was 'normal'. And… I don't know. When I was ten, I was having a nightmare and I woke up in the middle of the night.

"I could hear these voices coming from inside and outside the house, reaching over from the neighbours. I called out for help and I realised… I was all alone," she murmured, the creep of her first true Dark Hour's cold crawling on her skin. "When it ended, I told my parents about it, hoping on some level that maybe, they would've believed me… Supported me."

Somehow, he could see where it was going. "But they just got scared."

"I guess they did." The Shadow laughed. "I haven't told anyone about this before."

"There's a start for everything."

She seemed to agree. "Well… I don't know what you can do about this, but I'm glad I told you."

The Shadow's voice faded, far enough to be out of reach.

"I feel kinda bad." Minato heard Sachiko say. "It feels like a weight's been lifted off my shoulders. But… No-one's done the same for you."

Minato shook his head. "I don't know if it's a good idea."

She furrowed her brow. "Can't I at least try?"

"Promise…" He closed his eyes, seemingly unable to bring himself to protest further, knowing that she'd probably be too determined and presumably, too indebted to consider otherwise. "If it gets messy, you stop."

Sachiko nodded before starting to speak. A pounding force hammered, at first only irritably at the back of her head. "Hello?"

The pounding continued through moments of a hollow, unsettling silence, until finally, a deep, velvet voice answered her. "I suppose that is a common human custom; to greet arrivals, new and old." Somehow, perhaps from his silken, aged tones, Sachiko felt out of her element, hopping into the deep end without warning. Of course, she knew to expect the worst, but nothing prepared her for the creeping cold crawling over her nerves, or the unfamiliarity quietly falling, floating upon tepid waters of thought. "Do you summon me… or him?"

"Who… are you?"

The question reverberated without further explanation, her migraine getting worse every passing second. "Perhaps, his greatest friend. But, my child, you seem to be confused," the voice spoke. "Perhaps it is him you seek…"

The voice vanished. Sachiko closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on something other than the pain. She thought she saw an image. A flickering mirage of a person at her feet appeared, kneeling, a golden, quivering gaze roving through the darkness to meet hers, shimmering and glittering with obvious mirth. "Are you… Minato?"

"I guess… You could say that." He flashed a grin at her, sending waves of unease rolling down her spine. "And you're the girl I don't know what to think of." The Shadow giggled, motioning to stand. Despite only having a three inch difference in height, Sachiko couldn't help but feel like he towered over her. "I've been… longing for some company. Let me show you a token of my gratitude."

Sachiko knew that perhaps, she was only imagining the scene between the Shadow and her taking place. So when she saw him, almost _felt_ him wrap his arms around her in a hug, revelling in a perverse slurry of comfort and malaise until she felt a stab of pain shoot from the back of her head, as if corresponding with what she thought were claws, hooking into the back of her neck, hungering for viscera.

Her mind was enveloped in black blankness, her closed eyes seemingly forced shut. Sachiko could hear a familiar voice and a reassuring squeeze of her hand anchoring her defiled senses. "Sachiko. Open your eyes."

Slowly, she pried them open to a world of steady, steeled eyes, faint with hopes of blue slivering through the tarnished gunmetal. "What happened?" Minato anticipated, most likely, she _wasn't_ alright.

"I-I… I'm not sure," Sachiko murmured, almost shuddering to recall the figments and sensations threading through the meeting. "I haven't regathered my wits yet." Minato understood, welcoming a pensive, but not at all awkward silence into their midst.

* * *

**Edited: 10/05/16**

**AN: In this chapter, I added more to Minato and Shadow Sachiko's conversation, and detailed more of Sachiko's past and Minato's Shadow as well. The meeting has been moved to next chapter since it killed the mood.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	17. Power Struggle

He stared at the convulsing mass of blackness floating just in front of him, wondering, mulling over multitudinous seas of thought. In particular:

What in actual hell was he doing here?

Blue spiritual energy burst from his chest, first in pulses—badum, badum—and then in chains, streams of power, enclosing the admittedly large Shadow before shackling it into incognito form. The condensed darkness zoomed towards and took residence within his notepad, rather than his compendium.

With a final lurch, the comfort of the Dark Hour's silence settled back in. Minato stared at his newly captured Empress Shadow with a smirk.

It had come out of nowhere just a few minutes ago, hulking with lard and a mage's staff towards him. Arcana Empress was accompanied by a lanky Arcana Emperor, holding onto a sword that seemed too heavy for it to wield.

While the members of SEES were returning, Minato lured Arcana Empress outside (despite Mitsuru's protests), managing to separate the two Shadows.

He put the notepad away. Rather than putting it in his compendium—it had been reacting rather excitedly to the presence of the Empress Shadow—he played it safe and put that one somewhere else: the spare notepad that he'd kept for school notes. Minato supposed, however, that he _probably_ couldn't use the notepad for such a purpose any longer.

As he wandered back towards the lobby, Minato's mind turned towards the lead up of events to then.

…

Four days ago, after his conversation with Sachiko on the topics of evil teams and ghost story theories, he'd sat into a SEES meeting to discuss the matter of his powers.

Even before Mitsuru had begun, he asked, "Do you want me to leave the group?"

She paused, not expecting him to initiate the conversation. "No," Mitsuru answered, "but I do need to ascertain the degree to which you are able to control your power." It was Minato's turn to be caught off guard. "Depending, we may reinstate Akihiko as leader for a while, if you need some time off. Perhaps it could be an opportunity to get it under control."

Glances darted across the room, trying to get a hold of his bearings in the meeting. Akihiko looked back at him, stern and impassive, much like Mitsuru. "It'll take off some of my focus off training, but it's more important that we can rely on each other. Even if it's not because of you, that… Shadow which was summoned… can put us into a lot of danger," Akihiko reasoned.

"Well… I can't control it at all." Minato sighed. "And really, it's probably for the best. I never liked being leader. I was supposed to get swapped for Akihiko a while ago too." He shrugged, sinking down into the couch.

Yukari looked between Minato and the seniors uneasily. He was giving up that easily? "Are… you sure?" she murmured.

All he gave was a solemn nod in response, paying no attention to Junpei's brief smirk or the others' equally grave expressions. "Yeah. _If_. And that's… a huge _if_. If I manage to control my powers, I might think about asking to be reinstated," Minato added.

"I see…" Mitsuru brushed her hair back as she ended her train of thought. "Then Akihiko? You'll be in charge of field operations. And Arisato…"

Minato folded his arms as she thought. "Well, I need time and space to learn how to do this, and that's assuming that it really can be controlled in the first place," he pointed out. "Do you remember how I went out on my own to get my new Shadow some time before?" She answered with a nod. "I think that might be the best way. You can make me bring other team members if you want…" Although, he knew, it would be largely counterproductive if during one of those sessions, his power went out of control and tried attacking them. "Or not. But you can still watch out for me for if there's any danger. How's that?"

Consequences, costs and benefits were each being weighed in her mind. "I'm afraid of what might happen if during that process, a Shadow rampaged and caused any property damage, or if it could accidentally kill any bystanders," she spoke. "But it does seem like our best course of action for now…"

"Hey, actually…" The team turned to look at Akihiko. "Since Minato's out doing that, why don't we substitute my regular patrol times with his?"

Mitsuru chuckled. "That is true."

"Patrols?" Yukari asked. She'd only ever heard of some brief hearsay from her seniors' conversations.

"Yeah. In fact, it'll probably help you a lot more than me," Akihiko urged. "All you have to do is run a perimeter around the ward—not too far off, but it depends on Mitsuru's Persona strength—and… neutralise any Shadow threats."

Minato snorted. "That's pretty much perfect for me."

"Guess it's settled then," Junpei announced, barely hiding the bitterness lacing his voice. "Old leader becomes patrol and we get senpai—", his tone perked up slightly, "—as the new field leader, huh?"

Mitsuru, perhaps not noticing, or simply ignoring Junpei's contempt, nodded in agreement. "That seems to be the case. Alright then." She smiled, however slightly.

After everything else in the meeting had been sorted out, including times when they'd go to Tartarus, Minato's 'practicing' and anything else that had gone unaddressed, the three juniors had one of their own. "You guys investigated the ghost story like we said, right?" Yukari asked.

"Like _you_ said," Junpei muttered.

Minato opened an eye. "Sure, I guess." Yukari nodded slowly. She didn't imagine that Minato, of all people, would've gone out of his way to investigate the story. "I heard from a certain detective: Three students showed up unconscious at the gates of the school. And according to Junpei's story, the culprit was a 'maniacal ghost'.

"The incidents occurring multiple times", Minato sighed and sank into the couch further, "and the absence of a certain student coincided with the presence of a ghost…"

Yukari raised an eyebrow. "A student being absent? Who?"

"Fuuka Yamagishi."

"Hey, ain't that the sickly girl from 2-E?" Junpei asked. "Actually, we'd heard about her from Akihiko some time ago, didn't we? Why her?"

"She's also a victim to bullying. Considering how long she's been away, coupled with that fact, people have been thinking that maybe she killed herself or something like that," Minato spoke flatly. "Thus, the ghost theory."

She spluttered in disbelief, "Wait, she's _dead_?"

Minato shook his head. "I didn't say she was." He sighed. "And besides that fact, the culprit probably wasn't a ghost of someone who'd died. That'd be expecting someone to actually believe in ghosts", Yukari scoffed at his jab, "and disregarding that… all three victims have symptoms of Apathy Syndrome."

"Well… there goes my investigation," she mumbled.

Junpei's expression was agape. "Where the hell were you planning to 'investigate' that?"

"The back of Port Island Station?"

A nervous chuckle came from Minato. "Haha, no. Bad idea," he said, determined to strike down such a _stupid_ course of action. "Look, let's just ask her homeroom teacher about it tomorrow. At school."

So, to the faculty office they ventured to confront one Ekoda-sensei.

"Like it has been stated on the school records, Fuuka Yamagishi has been sick for the past week and a half," Ekoda said, sneering. Clearly, he was talking down to the three of them.

Yukari was quickly getting fed up with his oh-so obvious _bullshit_. She sighed in defeat. How could they find out that he was lying? She just _felt_ it, her assurance penetrating her very core and bones. "Alright… Thank you, Ekoda-sensei," she said, however reluctantly.

She beckoned her two companions outside the office.

Junpei looked equally miffed (Minato was… doing a great impression of Apathy Syndrome and looked almost completely uninterested with the way he just stared off at random corners of the ceiling) and eventually burst out, "Argh, I can just feel he's so full of shit!"

"I know…" She growled in frustration. "What do you think, Minato-kun?" Yukari, of course, didn't expect a serious answer.

For a moment, he seemed not to hear, but as if it was a delayed reaction, Minato snapped towards her. "I… Well, _I_ could try talking to him."

Yukari blinked. "How would that change anything?"

"Well, just… _try_ it."

Junpei and Yukari gave him a flat look, but eventually, she conceded, "Oh fine…"

He gestured for the two of them to follow him in, getting ready to start what he supposed was a little 'show'. "Ekoda-sensei," he called.

"What now? Can't you see I'm busy?" he grumbled, gesturing towards the piles of paper strewn across his desk.

Minato suppressed a sigh. He'd expected the high and mighty attitude from before but it still became exponentially ridiculous, indeed, how 'full of shit' he was. "Yeah. So I'll make this quick:

"Is it really worth it to jeopardise the safety of the students supposed to be under your care just because you care too much about your position as a teacher at this school?"

Ekoda spluttered at Minato's accusation. "How dare you…!"

"Denial, I see." He rolled his eyes. "Look, we both—no—all _four_ of us know that you're not telling the truth, so just spill it. Fuuka Yamagishi isn't sick now, is she?" Minato sighed as Ekoda's jaw locked up. Not saying anything wasn't what he had in mind. "Or do I have to say something about a certain Daichi Shijima who—"

He grinded his teeth to splinters with each word out of the 'accursed child's' mouth. "I-It was in her best interest! She wouldn't want to have her records stained by something like this. Her parents agree!"

Yukari and even Junpei couldn't help but be impressed by how fast and systematically Minato had seemingly pinpointed, latched onto, and pried the truth from Ekoda. Eventually, he divulged that Fuuka had gone missing due to being locked within the school gym. The following day, there was no sign of her, and a girl called Natsuki had told Ekoda.

That was how Akihiko, Junpei and Yukari came to enter the school's gym that same day, having found the keys after their late night scurrying. After some issues with Mitsuru's apparent lack of 'wi-fi router strength', they'd managed to recover Fuuka and return her home safely. She'd apparently managed to avoid any encounters with the Shadows due to being able to 'sense where they were'.

Two days after, as the new team of three was taken up the floors of Tartarus, the lobby was wracked with the thumping of roars, thuds and impact.

The fine details of the fight? Honestly, not that important. It wasn't as hard as he thought it would turn out and it was relatively short, like all battles, in retrospect, appeared to be.

…

Minato broke free of the reverie, brain now awash with fresh memory. Upon seeing the team gathered around the smouldering corpse, he wondered, once again: What was he doing there?

His mind's eye flashed back to many years prior. Perhaps from the island of younger years, he could sense the rift forming between him and SEES. Somehow, he found himself adrift, gently tugged away by harrowing, yet inviting voices, and distanced from the camaraderie that he thought had begun to form between him and the team.

Not something that he wasn't sure he wanted to reject. _That_ was truly an oddity.

He supposed that he could only push onward until the end, collecting Shadows and gathering power. It was in that type of power, and the method of attaining it, that he felt apart from SEES. Could he really begin to feel tethered to them _because_ of the freedom and understanding that they were starting to afford him?

What a stupid paradox.

Minato sighed and walked over to the group. It seemed that his struggle for power was to come at the price of metaphorically numbing and physically insistent headaches.

* * *

**Edited: 12/05/16**

**AN: Holy sheet. I added the meeting from last chapter to this one and now Minato is no longer the field leader. *gasp* Minato... also has more freedom. *gasp* This is also a large flashback, but hopefully the transitions are clear. The fight scene, due to uh... sheer lack of importance, has been completely cut. Rest assured, it happened, but Minato wasn't very concerned.**

**Don't worry about Fuuka; she'll come up.**

**Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	18. Pieces of Ideals and Fragmented Heroism

Her gloves nipped at her fingers as she clenched her fist around her phone. She'd been told by Minato to meet him around Hagakure before twelve midnight, even though they both knew what would happen at the clock's final strike.

Despite the bustle coming from below, Sachiko still felt silence whistle by her from the closed shops and people, as if anticipating the Dark Hour's arrival. Where was he?

She turned towards the clattering footsteps, breathing a small sigh of relief as she saw Minato hiking up the staircase. "Sorry. Were you waiting long?" he called to her.

"No, just a few minutes," Sachiko replied. "What's up? Especially for us to meet up _now_ of all times?"

Minato smirked. "Since I'm not field leader anymore, I have to go on patrol for any Shadows instead," he answered. "I figured, since you might be looking for clues, you might want to come with…"

Somehow, she couldn't help but grin at his invitation. "Oh, fine… You owe me some extra hours of sleep though." Minato snorted in amusement at her quip.

The Dark Hour's influence bore down on them in its usual teeth-chattering cold and colour. "Let's go."

As the two of them set off walking, Minato having removed his compendium from his bag, Sachiko spoke up. "So, what happened to Fuuka-san? Did you manage to find her and get to the bottom of that mystery?" she asked.

"Yeah. The team found her in that tower—Tartarus", Minato pointed out the high rise situated so innocently across the red sea, "—a couple of days after that."

"That's good. I assume she's recovering?"

He nodded. "Yeah. In fact…" Minato fell silent for a moment. "Fuuka-san, how are you holding up?"

A voice echoed in his head, somewhat like, but definitely stronger and clearer than Mitsuru's tinny transmissions. "U-Um, I'm fine, Minato-kun! I'm still getting used to it, but I think it'll get easier," she replied meekly. "You can expect enemies in about a few minutes, so please keep your guard up."

"Thanks." He turned back to Sachiko. "It turned out that Fuuka is a Persona user… So she's at our dorm, taking a sort of supportive, tactical role, I suppose," Minato clarified. "She can speak to people with her Persona, even over long distances. So no, I wasn't just talking to myself." Sachiko blinked, her stomach settling with a warm fuzziness. She really did help? "Thanks for the information about the ghost story, again. If you didn't let us know… Yukari-san probably would've dragged us along to the back of Port Island station."

Sachiko's look turned flat at the mention. "Well, you're welcome," she replied, fists trembling as she spoke. "I'm glad things worked out for you and that you managed to save her."

"Me too."

Then, Minato stopped, holding a hand out to stop Sachiko from walking any further. "One of them's nearby," he warned quietly. Taking the hint, Sachiko stepped back and let him do his thing. A page burst forth from his compendium, exploding into the roaring form of Sho.

Her eyes widened, not dissimilar to when she saw Minato fighting Shadows for the first time. As the last blast of flames subsided, Sachiko spoke up, "You're able to talk to every kind of Shadow, right?"

"What brought that question on?"

Possibilities raced through her mind in a deluge, drops of memory striking cold and true with icy precision from repetition of recycled recollection. "I've been… thinking back to all the times that I've tried to talk to Shadows before. Not during the day, but during the Dark Hour when they're out and about." A simplified fraction. "On estimate, I could only talk to one out of four."

His features remained unmoving for a moment, before finally conceding what she'd observed and returning Sho to his compendium. Minato sighed, with Sachiko unable to place what sort of sigh it was. "Fuuka, has Mitsuru-senpai ever told you about the classifications of Shadows?"

"Oh! Um… Yes!" she stuttered. "I don't remember them all completely yet but… Mitsuru-senpai told me that she classifies the Shadows based on their masks. She names them from tarot deck arcana, apparently, since those were the classifications that were used to identify them before…"

"Tarot deck arcana…" Minato muttered to himself. "And there were twelve of them?"

She hummed in thought. "Y-Yes… There were twelve from the Magician to the Hanged Man Arcana, and she used the Death Arcana to classify the other really powerful Shadow you encountered in Tartarus before," Fuuka answered hesitantly.

As Minato relayed that information, cogs of thought began turning. It wasn't new to him, but Sachiko seemed to absorb it. "It may be that other Shadow Whisperers like me are only able to talk to a limited amount of Shadows based on such a classification," she murmured to herself, but loud enough for him to hear.

Sachiko turned towards him. "What's with that look?" He merely walked, beckoning her to follow once more. "Come on. I'm just curious about this power. If I have it, and you have it, then shouldn't there be a strong desire to learn about it and the differences under its umbrella?"

"I… I-I know. You're right," he replied lowly. "I just… I can't stand this…" Rather than prompting him, Sachiko stayed silent for his continuation. "Even though, on a surface deep level, we should have the same powers… We don't. There's still a 'me', and a 'them'. You and the rest of the Shadow Whisperers probably have more similar powers than I do.

"And as much as I want to say that we're the same, I just… _know_ that we're not. And I'm sorry to have gotten my hopes up about it," Minato managed through clenched teeth. "I just can't help but feel that this difference is going to drive us apart. More than the distance that I've been pondering putting between you and me."

Deep down, she knew that what Minato was saying was right. From an objective perspective at least, their powers seemed to have quite a few more differences than she'd first anticipated, and there may have been many more besides that. "I see what you mean. But Minato. We don't have to have the same exact powers to be able to know how you and I feel.

"Even just by circumstance, our pasts are different, but somehow, we still feel the same. Maybe it's a bit different. Maybe your despair is stronger than mine. Different things have happened to us," she whispered, gaze cast towards the bloodied path, mingling with the colour of Shadow blood. "But that hasn't stopped you, or me, from trying to connect with each other, has it?"

Thoughts so invasive, so penetrative, had been nailed so deep into his mind that he wouldn't think of pulling them out so far down the track, but _she_ wanted to. "I guess… not…" Minato was still wary, of course. Upon attempted removal, he could feel his very consciousness clawing up and being dragged away, like remnants of flesh sticking to a forced out, and rusted pike. "I… I'm sorry. I just…"

"Feel insecure." He glanced towards her shyly upon hearing her prediction. "Uncertainty taints even the best of reason, and it can colour our futures with the darkest of shades. We become scared to press forward." Sachiko moved her hand towards his, taking notice of the way he flinched at even the slightest brush. Eventually, their grips intertwined, tentatively, quietly, lightly…

"But at what point are you going to keep letting your insecurity stop you from doing the things that you want to do?"

Minato grimaced. "I don't know yet."

She squeezed his hand in reassurance. "Maybe you will."

He smiled slightly, uncertainly, before continuing on the trek. "Thanks for… listening to me." Sachiko looked up at his trembling lip, struggling to hold onto that remnant of happiness.

Sachiko sighed and shook her head. "No, it's fine. You've been doing the same for me. Why wouldn't I return the favour?" Minato didn't respond. He… really hadn't thought of it that way. "Minato. At the very least, we're friends, right?"

"At the very least?" Minato spoke up, returning to normal volume. "Why do you say that?"

Her mouth was open to respond, but she decided it was better left for another time. "I don't know. Do you truly consider me so?"

"…Yeah, I do," he conceded.

Some minutes passed as they traded banter about the insignificant and the mundane. Either way, Minato couldn't help but feel the distance that he'd been thinking of putting between them simply closing. He hoped maybe it was his lucky break and the universe was out to prove his admittedly downer ideals wrong.

"Minato-san! You're almost at the end of the route," Fuuka informed, interrupting their strides. "Mitsuru-senpai told me about how you were going to be practicing something? I um… I didn't get the full details, but there is still some time before the Dark Hour ends, so if you would like…"

He nodded to himself. "Okay. Thanks Fuuka-san." She let out a relieved sigh, very much glad that Minato didn't run into too much trouble. It seemed pretty clear that night.

"So, what now?" Sachiko asked.

Minato rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I'm going to practice trying to control a new ability I just got… It might be dangerous, so maybe you'll want to keep away," he warned.

"How dangerous?"

"Dangerous enough that I want you to go home. Now."

Never had she heard him so resolute in tone. As much as her curiosity was rampaging against the walls of her mind, his voice had a certain edge that his apathetic, non-committal attitude did not. That was just enough for her to agree. "Alright. Be careful."

"Yeah. Later."

As she began walking towards the strip mall, she turned back to him with something of a smirk. "Don't let me catch your dead body the next day, Minato."

Before Minato could respond, she set off running, his train of thought and voice too slow to reach her. He smiled to himself another one of his grimace half-smile hybrids and called in whispers, "Sho. Kishimaru."

Blue energy twisted from his chest to his arms to the pages of his compendium. The two chosen pages flew out from the tome, erupting from page to incognito form. "Fuse."

What came out of his mouth was not his command. Instead, Minato heard the sound: "Pestilence."

His eyes widened as the two Shadows released fountains of thick, smoky miasma, threatening to fill the street with the murky black of death. What negative feeling he had: the insecurity; the despair; the anger; the _fear_, all squeezed into a gritty paste, left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Fuse, goddammit!" Minato gritted his teeth as spiritual power was wrenched from his core, sloshed into the inky blots of gas and slurry. "Stop it! Stop controlling what I'm fucking saying!" he cried. And image of Sachiko's smirk flashed in his mind, and for a moment, the gas seemed as though it would hit his mouth, nose and lungs.

Then nothing.

The acridity ceased seeping into the atmosphere, paralysed, suspended in space. At once, the darkness rewound into his compendium as if time's flow itself had reversed itself. The only evidence that anything had occurred was his near complete loss of energy.

Why did it stop?

Minato squeezed his eyes shut, growling in frustration as he kept his weapon close to his heart, listening to his decelerating pulse. He lumbered back to the dormitory, letting Fuuka know that he was done for the night, and scrambled to put some sleepwear on before letting the Sandman take him.

She'd sensed that burst of power herself and Fuuka was more than shaken to even be a second-hand witness to his attempted Fusion. The soon to be diffusing energy that the mass had accumulated feeling all too similar to a powerful presence which she'd brushed by while she was lost in Tartarus, but… _stronger_.

Out of fear, and of course, a bit of curiosity, Fuuka knew that she had to ask Minato about it later. If she could help him and the rest of the team out by doing so… She gave a sigh.

She knew somehow that there were cracks of tension running throughout the team, despite what they'd achieved in finding her that night in Tartarus. Fuuka's mind wandered back towards the meeting a day prior, just after she'd been discharged from the hospital.

When the blue-haired boy known as Minato walked into the command room, Fuuka felt chills ring about the room, as if the atmosphere hadn't frozen from the anticipation just before that. "Nice to see you've joined us," Yukari teased.

Minato raised an eyebrow at the near saccharine greeting (he knew somehow that she was probably being sarcastic) and took to standing just behind the couch Junpei and Yukari were sitting on. "Yeah. Thanks." He replied with about the same amount of jest.

As Mitsuru reaffirmed that all the members were present, she continued, "What we are saying is that we would like you to join us. Will you lend us your strength?"

She'd stayed quiet for a few moments, going over the repercussions and consequences in her mind. What Fuuka saw was certainly, a capable team that had some experience in fighting against the Shadows, but much like she had sensed earlier, not a completely cohesive team. It was a team that was working towards an admirable, and by all means, noble goal for the good of the people as a whole, the people afflicted by Apathy Syndrome, and the families of such victims.

However, each part of the team had different agendas and angles. They were pieces of glass that were brought together, but not fully… _together_ in a seamless combination. There was some glue—the goal that had brought them there—but they didn't all _fit_.

Whether it was that team's motivation, or their troubles as a whole, Fuuka knew somehow that she wanted to be a part of this. Not only to help SEES defeat the Shadows and the Dark Hour, but to forge them into what they needed to be.

She put on a brave face, equipping herself with as resolute a tone as she could muster. "I'll do it."

Yukari's eyes widened. "We can give you time to think about it though! We aren't forcing you or anything."

"No, it's fine," Fuuka reassured. "I want to do this."

"Are you sure? You'll have to live in the dorms," she continued.

With a pang of sadness, she averted her gaze. "No. It's okay. I'd… prefer living here than at home anyways."

"So, it's settled then?" Akihiko presumed, watching as Yukari glared daggers at Mitsuru.

He pursed his lips as Mitsuru, of course, nodded in affirmation. The impassive mask she'd been holding on to was replaced with a small smile of relief. "It seems so."

"Glad to have you on board!" Junpei grinned.

Ikutsuki beamed as well. "Alright then! I'll organise the rooms and talk this over with your parents."

"T-Thank you," Fuuka replied. "I'll do my best."

"Now then… those special Shadows have appeared again," Ikutsuki began.

Minato wondered whether he should've mentioned the creepy kid that appeared about a week ago to tell him about this.

"We still don't know where they're coming from. But, Akihiko is right about one thing. Their appearances seem to coincide with the full moon. We'll take that into consideration from now on."

"They're kinda like werewolves then!" Junpei exclaimed.

"Well, it's a big advantage to know when to expect them," Akihiko said. "That way, we'll be ready when we have to get into the ring…" He couldn't help but smirk at the thought.

Yukari looked concerned, but chose not to say anything. The meeting ended there, with Akihiko, Mitsuru, Ikutsuki and Fuuka leaving the room. "Wassup Yuka-tan? You look scary." Junpei chuckled.

She sighed. "I just… feel like that went too fast."

"Hey. If you're concerned about how quickly Fuuka agreed to the whole thing, just ask her," Minato said simply.

Really. Was that hard to think of _asking_ when she'd already probed him about his past some times before?

He left for his room, glancing as he exited into the hallway.

"I guess Minato-kun is right about that…" Yukari said, looking over at Junpei.

He just shrugged. "Hmph. Actually being wise for once, huh?"

She deadpanned at him. "You and I both know how much you don't like him. You really need to fix that." Junpei scoffed at the advice. Because some advice that was. He knew some part of him was just being really stubborn about showing Minato up, but he couldn't just stop what he felt. "I'm being serious. Junpei. If we can't be sure of how we're going to rely on each other, then this isn't much of a team at all.

"Do you honestly think that if this was just you, you could handle it on your own?"

He stood to full height, baring his teeth and a glare. "Of course I don't! I-I just…" Junpei clicked his tongue, looking down at the floor. "I just… I thought I was someone special. Someone who could be a hero. I thought I would mean something, but everyone else is just… _better_." His shoulders sagged. "Least of all, Minato."

Yukari sighed. "Junpei. I… I am going to have to admit something here as well," she murmured. He gave her a frown in confusion. "When I first awakened to my Persona, and I learned that I could do something about the Dark Hour. I felt the same. I thought maybe… I was _fated_, or something. Fated to be able to fight against the Shadows."

"Really. Wouldn't have pegged you for that."

"No, you wouldn't." He shot her an indignant look, before Yukari just laughed. "No, you wouldn't have been able to. It's not like me to give this away.

"But the thing is… We aren't really like that. As much as I want to believe we are, that's not how I feel."

"Why's that?"

Yukari sighed. "Well, there are a few reasons. One of which, I'll bring up a lot later, once I have everything confirmed…

"But the other reason is that… Somehow, we've all gone through hardship to get to where we are now. It doesn't make me feel heroic. It doesn't even make Minato feel heroic. He just sort of… _happened_ to have those powers which you're jealous of, but there's no pride to it. Maybe the seniors, and maybe Fuuka feel the same," Yukari spoke solemnly.

"I don't know exactly what you've gone through either to make you think and act the way you do. But this isn't us being heroes. We're just people that have motivations which happen to line up for a sort of noble cause."

Junpei sighed. "Maybe you're right."

A shy knock came from outside. "Uh, come in!" Yukari called. Fuuka then crept in, peeking her head around the edge of the door. "U-Um, what's up?"

"I-I'm sorry… I heard part of your conversation while I was talking to Minato-kun," she admitted. "He said you were worried about me joining the team and…" Fuuka took a deep breath as she gathered her thoughts. "I felt like I needed to make things clear." Yukari bit her lip. She probably shouldn't have been putting words into her mouth earlier. "R-Right…"

"I…" She clenched her fists. "I wasn't forced to make this decision. I genuinely just want to help the city and help you all as a team." Fuuka pursed her lips for before continuing, "Minato told me that maybe you think I was 'strong-armed' into joining by the senior students or maybe Ikutsuki-san. But…"

Junpei rubbed the back of his head. "Heh… Well, I think we just figured out…" He glanced between Yukari and Fuuka. "We all have a few problems."

Maybe, in all intrepidity, Fuuka would come to find out exactly how true that was.

…

Minato growled, kicked his table and pounded the pillow on his bed. Why couldn't he just do what he wanted?! His frustration simmered dangerously under his skin, stewing it over and over again in some attempt to diffuse his tearing heat.

"Hello there." He punched at the voice.

The mysterious boy caught his fist just as it was about to collide with his cheek. For the way he looked, his grip was surprisingly strong. "It seems that you're still up today. How are you?" he asked with a cheery smile.

"I-I…" Minato withdrew his fist, confirming for the first time that he was a tangible presence. "I'm just really worked up right now. Sorry."

He just smiled back. "Oh, I know. After all, I'm always with you. I came to tell you something about the end, since I remembered a little more about it."

As he tried relaxing and sat up on his bed, he patted the spot next to him for him to sit down on. "What about it?"

The boy happily took up that place and spoke, "Apparently, the end won't be brought about by anyone in particular." He looked up curiously at Minato. "It seems strange though. Why would anyone want to wish for something like that?"

"People just… lose hope." He smiled wryly. "They lose their dreams, ambitions, and they lose the people that they might want to depend on. They get lonely."

He nodded in agreement. "Like you before, huh? There are also others like you were before that don't have anything to live for, aren't there?" the boy wondered aloud. "It would be enough that they too could wish for the end. But you are still alive… So what is it that you yearn for?"

"Shouldn't you know that?" Minato chuckled. "I'm just looking for the truth about my parent's death. Vengeance is also on the agenda."

The boy chuckled along with Minato. "Good luck then, even if you don't need it. Considering the vast amount of potential within you, I'm sure you can find what you're looking for. With you, the end doesn't seem so certain either."

"Is that… a compliment?" he asked jokingly, receiving yet another enigmatic smile. "What's your name? I keep mentally calling you 'mysterious kid' or 'mysterious boy' or whatever other synonyms. Help me out here."

"Ah yes. I need a name. You can call me… Pharos. You may call me that if you wish," he replied. "Well then… I'll see you again," Pharos said. Leaving only those words, he disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

**Edited: 26/05/16**

**AN: Mmmm so there's no Sachiko date, but I feel like what I substituted it with was better (includes better imagery and foreshadowing). Minato has problems with Shadow Fusion still, there's some Fuuka POV stuff, Yukari and Junpei bonding moment and not much changed about the Pharos and Minato scene besides fixing some dialogue.**

**Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	19. The Teachings of Forbidden Alchemy

'If Minato could learn how to do that from the kid if he somehow saw him again, he was definitely going to ask.'

"Hey, Pharos, wait." Minato reached out towards the empty space where the boy once was.

It was when Pharos reached his hand towards him, and placed his hand atop his fingers, that Minato noticed the coldness of his skin. It embodied the freeze of a dark winter, with the odd fuzzy touch of fresh, powdery snow prickling at his nerves as pins and needles. "Yes, Minato-san?"

"I was just wondering…" Minato patted the spot next to him once again, now noticing that there were no creases where there should've been. Understanding his gesture, Pharos followed to where he was previously sat. "How do you disappear and reappear like that?"

He hummed, looking for an explanation in the air with a smile, like the younger brother being asked a question by his older brother, or parent. "I admit, I don't really know _how_ I do it," Pharos replied. "It just comes naturally to me."

"So… That means I can't learn how to teleport," Minato said flatly.

Clearly, he was disappointed, and Pharos felt a pang of guilt looking at that crestfallen expression of his. "Not by yourself, I don't believe so," he finally answered. There was just something about Minato that made Pharos unable to refuse to teach him. "It is… Just an idea. I don't know how I know this, or why…"

Minato inclined his head. "Yes?"

There was an enigmatic smile; the beginning of the quiet disclosure of a seemingly arbitrary, yet concealed piece of information. "Have you ever thought… about how Shadows are able to change form? What power lies beyond what you have seen?

"Their power to transform into whatever guise you desire them to take? The nature of the Dark Hour?"

Pharos's eyes emitted an ominous, cyan glow as he spoke, shining even brighter in the eerie lighting of the Dark Hour. He gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. "A-Are you okay?" Minato asked.

"Yes, I just… It feels as if… This information is being forced into my mind. This is new to me as well," he murmured, slowly regaining his composure. "But indeed, haven't you ever wondered?"

He paused, still concerned for Pharos's wellbeing, but nodded. "I have…"

"I cannot tell you the purpose of the Dark Hour or much of anything else about Shadows, but I can describe something interesting…" Pharos spoke, eyes still tightly shut. "Shadows have the innate ability, in large groups, to be able to control space and time. These Shadows, presumably are the origin of the Dark Hour, in some way or another… And indeed, wouldn't it be a marvel to be able to harness that kind of power? To be able to control space and time to your liking?"

"You mean… I'd be able to teleport using the powers of the Shadows?" Minato murmured.

He wasn't sure about what kind of repercussions that would have on him. Indeed, a great power. But at what cost could it come? "Indeed, that is one of the possibilities," Pharos replied, shaking his head of the pain.

"Well…" He furrowed his brow. There could be some serious, practical use to the powers, but as Pharos had just said, the Shadows and the Dark were most likely irreparably intertwined.

"You are concerned about the repercussions of using your Shadows for your own use, aren't you?" Pharos spoke Minato's thoughts aloud, earning a solemn nod. "I suggest you think deeply about this. Gather all the information you have… and make a decision on whether you'd want to use your Shadows the way you have been, and the way that you could." He sighed, leaning against Minato's arm. "Perhaps I should go. The Dark Hour's end is nearly upon us…"

Minato sighed, turning to the light pressure on his right arm. "Perhaps?"

The boy chuckled. "I believe that my presence could be distracting you from your daily activities. I don't wish to burden you in such a manner," Pharos replied.

He scoffed. "Are you kidding?" Pharos raised an eyebrow at his exclamation. "A few minutes ago, I was kicking and growling in frustration but now… I'm just calm. Confused, sure. But calm. You're anything but distracting."

A chuckle. "I think you may be surprised!" Pharos smiled, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. The unsettling void that he'd felt was being filled with something Minato would probably refer to as 'happiness'. "Alright. I'll be there for you as long as you wish me to be there."

"I like the sound of that." Not stopping to question the quickly growing bond between him and the boy, Minato just revelled in the brotherly sense he was given. He'd always been an only child. But somehow, despite all the anti-social facades he put up, Minato couldn't help to prefer, and invite his company. It was as if he'd known Pharos for longer than he'd thought.

He felt a certain warmth well up inside of him, surging through his veins. If he had felt it before, and didn't notice, he felt it now. This bond was giving him power… This was the power of a Social Link?

The Dark Hour dissipated, replacing the iron-tinged air with the comfort of his scent. Minato walked over to the window and cracked it open, watching the pure moon as fresh air began filtering in. "While you're here… Do you mind helping me mull something else over?"

"Why, of course," Pharos answered immediately. "Might it concern the difficulty that you experience in relation to the process of Shadow Fusion?"

At this point, Minato was chalking up the fact that Pharos could pretty much end every sentence of his to him 'always being with him'. "Yeah. I just…" He sighed, shaking his head. It wasn't frustration. Just weighty resignation. "I almost don't care at this point whether I'm able to use it or not. It'd be useful, sure, but… I just want to be able to control it myself when it happens. It just… up and happens on its own."

Pharos nodded solemnly. "I feel your frustration, resignation… and your sadness. What if you aren't able to control it? What if it accidentally hurts someone that you care about?" he murmured, mimicking Minato's raging cascade of thoughts. "And in fact…"

His sentence was cut off there, no voice emerging from Pharos's mouth. "H-Hey, what happened?"

Coughs wracked the air, and Pharos grasped at his throat as if some invisible force was trying to clamp it shut. After a few moments, his breaths softened, back to normal. "It seems that something doesn't want me to tell you why," he rasped. "I'm sorry. I wish I could…"

Minato shook his head and placed a hand on his back. "Don't push yourself. Thanks anyways."

He still looked downcast, however. "I suppose. I just wish I was of more help." Pharos stayed quiet for a few moments before giving a deep sigh. "The problem is that… _something _is influencing your words. I wonder if there is a way to nullify the effect of having that something take command over your words but…" He shook his head. "I don't have the power to do such a thing, even though I very much want to."

"It's okay, Pharos," he said, giving Pharos a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder. "You're trying. That's good enough for me."

He gave another soft laugh. "I know that, and it makes me glad, but still… It is rather unsatisfying."

"I agree. Maybe we should just sleep on it for now." Minato pinched the bridge of his nose, rubbing at the corners of his eyes.

"_You_ should get some sleep. I don't have a need for it, unlike you." Pharos smiled uneasily.

Minato nodded and began shuffling under the blanket, eager for some warmth.

He watched for a moment, taking comfort in his calm state of sleep, before disappearing.

As he fell deeper into the clutches of sleep, the void of black in his vision was engulfed by a soothing sea of blue. Within his dream, Minato opened his eyes to see the familiar sight of Igor and Elizabeth. "Welcome once more, Minato," Elizabeth greeted.

He gave a short wave, however hesitantly. "Hey… You remembered this time."

"It has been hard to get used to, I agree!" She chuckled. "The master would like to speak with you." Elizabeth gestured to Igor, then stepped behind his chair.

The Cheshire grin once again, never twitched, or left his face. Still, Minato was getting used to it and he'd probably consider it more of a comfort to see the old man like this. It seemed gently shut, as if willing to let slip something small, but crucial; a letter to answer an inquiry, perhaps. "Have you been getting used to your powers?"

His mind wandered back over what he'd experienced thus far, the memories seeming to come easier, and clearer in his calmed state. Maybe it was the subtle energy, mixed with calm, swirling in the air's suspension. "Which one?" Minato asked.

"All of them, of course." He gave a small chuckle. "Yes, perhaps, I should clarify. Both your Personas and Shadows…" Igor's next words surprised Minato. "The power of the Social Links that you are harnessing."

"My Social Links?" Minato rubbed the back of his head. He simply wasn't making an effort to go out and establish any, so the fact that Igor suggested that he should be getting used to that power meant that he might've had more than one already.

Elizabeth opened her compendium, from which nine glowing tarot cards arose, rotating in a circular motion. "Indeed," he replied. "I have explained what you may experience from such a surge of power? Indeed, it was noticeable when you established a link with Elizabeth here. Sometimes, it may be so subtle that you do not notice it at all the first time, but it grows surely stronger the closer that you and the other person become." Igor chuckled, as if knowing the answer to his own question. "This has not happened when you have been spending time with people other than Elizabeth recently?"

Recollections of past times with SEES, each of the members within it, Sachiko and Pharos came into mind's view. "I-It has," Minato said understandingly, but still surprised. "And… I guess I've been kinda using Personas when I have to."

"What about Shadows, then?"

His eyes drifted downwards. "I don't know." Somehow, he could feel Igor urging him to elaborate with his gaze. "I've been wanting to understand it, and I thought I knew at least a bit more than others when it came to Shadows, but…" Minato's hands shuddered as if they'd touched upon a boundary beneath which an insatiable void hungered. "All I know is that something… I don't know exactly where, or what it is… It's trying to control my whispers."

Igor nodded solemnly. "You shall learn more about the nature of your Social Links in time. Do what you will with the bonds that you have established thus far. Make more if you wish," he seemed to instruct. "Your Wild Card ability, and the Personas that come about as a result, you shall come to know as well.

"And for the last… Your Shadow Whispering ability," Igor smiled ever so slightly. Minato couldn't help but feel it wasn't one of amusement. "Perhaps you are coming to grips with the knowledge… That it is not yours. It cannot be controlled by you, as of yet. But that is merely another part of the learning process. Your growth will continue. And perhaps, you may yet find circumstances in which you will reconcile with the power that you create, whether consciously or unconsciously, the power that you will come to accept, and the power that was thrust into your possession."

He pursed his lips, still unsure of his proclamation. "The power that was 'thrust' into my possession," Minato spoke. "Would it have anything to do with… the monster that came out of Orpheus when I first summoned it, and the thing that you said 'had a hand' in its release?"

"Perhaps," Igor spoke cryptically. He couldn't seem to hold back a large grin at Minato's question, as if bursting to tell, but seemingly unable to. He could only settle upon impressed amusement. The two gazed at each other, a question seeming to settle on both their minds. "I wonder if I should elaborate now…" he murmured to himself.

"Igor…" He looked up at his guest's voice. "You said that Personas and Shadows are similar. And I don't think they're called that on accident." Minato thought back to his free time, small bits of information trickling into his mind. "Would it be possible to… fuse Personas and Shadows together?"

At this, Elizabeth's eyes lit up in confusion, and in intrigue. Igor, however, chuckled, his grin somehow growing wider. "It may, indeed, be possible."

"I can't do it here though, can I?"

Igor shook his head. "I believe that what you discover from here on is a new art. To be truthful, I have never been this thrilled to see a guest with as much ingenuity as you," he spoke. "But I do warn that even I do not know the consequences of such fusion yet. I suppose that you must be able to do it under your own power once again, but I cannot guarantee the results. You must be careful—"

"And assume responsibility for my actions."

Yet another chuckle. "Precisely."

Igor closed his eyes. "Time marches on in your world. Do what you will with the information you have been given, and be careful, my guest."

"Please, do come again," Elizabeth bid him.

At that, he gave a nod, his vision becoming awash with morning light.

* * *

**Edited: 31/05/16**

**AN: So I threw out pretty much everything in the original chapter and wrote this one from scratch. I hint more at Minato's powers and there's more development in Pharos's relationship with Minato. **

**Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	20. Oh God, Piety

Fuuka was in the command room, searching for the next Shadow to take down. Seeing as it was a full moon and they seemed to have found a good enough pattern to go on, it definitely wouldn't hurt to look. She stood in the bubble of her Persona, eyes closed as she searched.

"Have you found anything?" Mitsuru asked after a few moments.

"Just a moment…" she replied. A few restless moments later, her eyes widened. "I found something… it's in a place called… Shirakawa Boulevard."

"Shirakawa Boulevard?" Mitsuru blinked, looking pensive for a few moments. "Oh…" she sighed, having realised the implications of their next mission. And as much as she didn't want to, it would be best to press on anyways, regardless of the circumstances.

"Hm. The Lost had indeed been showing up in pairs lately. Now I understand why," Ikutsuki added after a brief silence.

"Why? What's on Shirakawa Boulevard?" Fuuka asked, looking around the group with curious eyes.

"That's where all _those_ hotels are…" Junpei snickered, rather creepily.

"Ugh, stop sounding like a perv," Yukari groaned.

"Oh, don't you worry about that! They're nothing more than ordinary hotels!" Ikutsuki exclaimed with an amiable smile. "The rooms are just a little fancier, that's all."

"Aw, that's it?" Junpei sighed.

"I'm sorry to burst everyone's bubbles…" Minato finally pitched in, prompting the team to give him their attention. "And Ikutsuki's. But… w-whatever you might say to lead us astray, I'm sticking to my guns and saying that these are the places people go to fuck when they can't in their houses." Cue Fuuka's look of disbelief. "That's why they're showing up in pairs. Got it? Not that it really matters.

"You're still going to make us go, even knowing what those places are like," he sighed, pointing his statement to Mitsuru.

She furrowed her brow. "You're right," Mitsuru said reluctantly.

"Then let's get this over with," Akihiko nodded.

"Well then. I'm coming with you this time. It's not fair if you all get to hog the action," Yukari said. She referred to how Junpei forced his way onto the rescue team during the second full moon, of course. "Don't try to stop me."

"Whatever," Minato sighed. "Yukari, Mitsuru and Junpei. Akihiko can look after Fuuka."

It sounded all well and good, but part of the sentence was actually a slip of the tongue. "Wait, really?" Junpei said incredulously.

Minato actually meant to say that Akihiko could defend Fuuka, but when he said 'look after', it sounded way more as if he cared about her more than the others. That being said, he just ignored Junpei's outburst. "And… you're backup if anyone gets tired. There might be more than one. Objections?"

"Alright. It seems this is settled. Let's go," Mitsuru said.

…

The team entered a love hotel on Shirakawa Boulevard. The walls were cream, but the floor was a garish shade of pink. If Minato wasn't tactful enough, he probably would've said that he'd gotten turned off just by walking into the building and looking at the colour scheme. But he was, so thank god he didn't say that aloud.

"Let's move. Tell where the Shadow is," Minato commanded Fuuka, spinning his compendium in his hand. He also had his notepad from before. He decided not to use it for note taking after he'd used it, so… he could go wild with it if he wanted to. As if you'd take notes on a notepad that had a big ugly fat Shadow packed into it.

"Alright. It's not far," Fuuka said. It's two floors above," she said.

He nodded and without another word, started off towards the staircase up. On the way, there were some small groups of Shadows, but they were weak in comparison to the ones nearer to the barrier in Tartarus, and lesser in number.

The other three made short work of them as they passed.

Eventually, they ended up in front of the hugest set of doors in the building thus far. "That's it! The Shadow is in there. Are you ready?" Fuuka asked.

"Mmhm," Minato nodded, walking in.

Breathing in and out slowly, he calmed himself down and called for the others to surround the Shadow in the middle. It had the appearance of a pot-bellied man sitting on an uncomfortably small throne. On both sides of him were small crosses, and behind was what seemed to be a thin, tall, beige coloured woman with a six barred cross for a head.

…it made Minato cringe even more than the Empress did when it was 'waddling' towards him. If he got a chance, he could absorb it, but at the same time, he _really_ didn't want to.

But he just had to bite the bullet, he supposed.

"Fuuka, try scanning it," Minato ordered.

"Alright. I'll do my best."

"Pff… welp, let's just see how this goes," he sighed. Minato tore a page from his compendium and threw it towards the Shadow, slashing through its belly. It didn't appear to do much damage, even though it seemed as if it didn't resist Slash.

"Bufula." Mitsuru stepped forward and summoned her Persona, Penthesilea. The Amazonian queen brandished her blade, sending choppy waves of ice. The spikes pierced into the Hierophant's body once more, but again, didn't seem to do much damage.

"It reflects electricity, but everything else is normal," Fuuka noted. "Its Arcana is Hierophant!"

"Hermes!" Junpei shot his Evoker and commanded it to use Assault Dive. It charged forward and pushed its wings and helmet into the Hierophant's belly before fading. Again, it appeared not to do much. If there was human logic at work here, it seemed as if all the attacks were only bruising or damaging its large layer of fat.

"Yukari. Aim for its head," Minato commanded, realising this.

"Please hit…" she mumbled. Yukari nocked an arrow into her bow and let it fly at the Hierophant's mask. It made its mark quite handily in fact. However, what was surprising was that the woman behind the Shadow removed the arrow from his head and threw it away onto the ground.

Minato gritted his teeth. It was tough, that was for sure. But he wasn't looking to waste a major amount of his energy in this fight so early on. Minato chuckled and was hardly amused by the fact, but it was enough for him not to be quiet the whole time. "Orobas."

For once, he pointed his Evoker to his temple and summoned the horse prince of the underworld. "Garula." If Mitsuru filled Ice, Junpei Fire, and Yukari Wind, he filled in Zio. But since that stupid Hierophant reflected Zio, he settled for hitting it with brute strength instead. The horse gave out a loud neigh before summoning a ball of wind to throw at the Shadow.

Crash! And the spell made contact. The main obese Shadow howled in pain as the air cut into his body, but the woman behind seemed to be disapproving and slapped the mask he wore. She hissed in Shadow Whispers, "Get yourself together _medium_!"

"I'm terribly sorry, my grace. It will not happen again," the Hierophant muttered as it finally recovered. Of course, the whispers only sounded like low hissing and screeching, but Minato could understand.

And he just laughed. "Oh my god, it's arguing with itself!" Minato exclaimed.

The others had no idea what the hell he was on about. "Bow down before me!" The Hierophant growled.

"No way," Minato just grinned back, speaking in the same tongue so he'd understand.

Seemingly ruffled by Minato's taunt, the Shadow used Mazio to summon bolts of lightning and strike the team. "Dodge!" he growled so the others could hear. Yukari almost didn't get out of the attack in time, so he caught the tendril of electricity that was heading for her, hurting him instead.

"Minato!" Yukari summoned Io to heal him, at least relieving the pain. He shakily lifted himself to his feet. It wasn't a weakness, but it still hurt quite a bit.

"I'm fine…" he muttered, glaring at the Hierophant. "We can't brute f-force this, or we'll be here all hour. Aim for legs, arms, head… anything but his main body," Minato explained. He would've so liked to try and brute force it, but… oh well. Mitsuru and Junpei got the message and rushed with their weapons to disable the Shadow.

Mitsuru skewered one of the crosses on her rapier and tried to get a hit in on the Hierophant, piercing and slashing at one of his arms, his chest, and head. Just as she was about to withdraw her blade, Junpei used Assault Dive to push the blade in further into what seemed to be the Hierophant's head. "Great job Iori," she praised, jumping back from the Shadow's chalkboard screams. Junpei gave a smirk in response and swung his katana, hitting cleanly the Shadow's cheek.

"Yukari, aim for the one behind him," Minato commanded.

"Alright, I'll try," she nodded. Nocking yet another arrow, Yukari shot it towards the woman. It hadn't been expecting the hit, and it lodged in her side.

"My grace!" The Hierophant cried in between whimpers of pain.

"Fool! Do your work!" she screamed.

The Shadow seemed to respond to his divine's commands and let out a hollow screech. "You'll pay, and know your destiny… know your Prophecy of Ruin!"

The air dropped.

Darkness filled vision so nothing was all they could see.

Shadowy mutterings came from the Hierophant, and a cold sweat trickled down Minato's forehead. Shivers came from all over and everywhere they travelled, hairs stood on end, at as much attention as he was. A pit formed in his stomach, and he almost found himself unable to move.

He could partly understand some of the Shadow's words, but the rest he couldn't hear over the pounding of his chest.

Minato felt his heartbeat increase in speed every thump. His breathing was erratic.

Feeling a lump rise in his throat, he tried to contact Yukari. "U-Use Patra!" he managed to get out. He stuttered over his words, but that was just his tongue not working. Was it the right spell even? Maybe what he was saying was wrong…

This time, he was frozen in fear.

Absentmindedly, he felt relief wash over his lungs, rib cage, untangling his oesophagus and intestines. No, he couldn't be scared.

Minato looked around and was about to smash a Me Patra Gem to help the others, but the woman and Shadow started screaming in unison. Demons raised hell, hell harpies sung, dying mothers let out one last pleading cry for help as the trigger on the gun that was pointed towards their child clicked. That happened all at once.

He wasn't affected, but his teammates were. They were sprawled on the ground, unconscious.

There was one blessing from that attack.

"Well then… since we're alone now… you are mine." Minato smirked. He ran, dodging bolts of Zionga from the sky. Craters and smoke appeared where they struck, and out of it all, Minato appeared. "Magarula."

Pillars of tornados minced both the Hierophant and the woman behind him, letting out pained screams. Minato smirked and summoned Kishimaru, whispering to use his lance to skewer, but not kill it.

"As you wish," he replied. The Intrepid Knight charged and plunged his lance cleanly into the woman and Hierophant from behind, like pieces of meat on a stick. Again, shrieks of agony came from the two combined. This time, Minato just scoffed at them. He really didn't like this Shadow, but it would make some good wall fodder if he _really_ was desperate enough to use it.

"Bow to me." Minato ordered, his eyes starting to glow.

"Never!"

He rolled his eyes at the Hierophant's defiance and continued, "If you don't, I will _mutilate_ that grace of yours until she is unrecognisable, and even she will beg you to," Minato glared. The threat was half-hearted, but it seemed to work. The little sod was too loyal to his divine being for his own good.

"You fool!" the woman gasped as rivulets of ichor started to stream down from the ghastly wound in her.

"Hmph." Minato could see the Hierophant had already begun to submit.

He removed his notepad from his pocket and used his spiritual energy to compress the Shadow, mistress, crosses and all. Even the chair. Still, its form contorted and burbled as Minato forced it all together into incognito. The crosses and woman turned to lumps, and all that was left was the Hierophant himself.

Eventually, he succumbed to the overwhelming pressure and joined the blob. "You'll pay for this dearly, Fool…" Minato heard the Hierophant mutter. Shutting out his words, the glob morphed into a page and fitted into his pad.

"Shut up," he growled. "Fuuka, are the others… alright, I guess?"

"U-Um, yes. They're just unconscious," she explained.

Minato nodded to himself and went about waking them all up. They were less than pleased to get a rude awakening via some slapping, shaking and very tiny zaps of electricity, but they were at least conscious.

"Ugh, what happened…?" Junpei groaned.

"From what I can gather, the Shadow used a spell that caused Fear… and then used an attack to knock out the people that were affected by the spell," Fuuka explained. "Um, Yukari managed to use Patra on Minato before it could use the attack, so he wasn't affected and defeated the enemy on his own…"

"How the hell did you do that?" he blinked, looking at Minato incredulously.

And… he just shrugged. Before Junpei could get another word in, Minato asked, "Is that it?"

"Just give me a moment…" The team was silent as they awaited Fuuka's results. "There's another enemy hidden inside that room! But I don't know exactly where it is…"

"We should search the room and see what we can find," Mitsuru said.

"I guess so. Let's go," Yukari nodded.

While they did that, Minato tried the doors, finding that they were sealed shut. Somehow. Maybe it was the Shadow, but he didn't linger on it for too long. He walked around, wondering how it was that the Shadow they were looking for could hide in the one room.

Minato walked past a large mirror to the side of the bed in the room, and gazed at it for a few moments. The mirror's glass looked a bit hazy, and… Hey, he couldn't see his reflection!

The world turned black.

* * *

**Raider: Hi guys, we're back! Sorry about Nights' disappearance last time, but good thing is that he's back now, and there'll defo be an awesome fight coming up. I mean, other than the one I did. Hehehe. Time to see what happens next, huh? Plz box us yo thoughts and we'll see you guys later!**

**Reviews! :3**

**Afterados: Yeah. It defo won't last though. It's just temporary. And honestly, I haven't even explained the whole reason why Minato seemed a little softer than last chapter. Which… I will say later.**  
** Hahaha, yeah. If he actually tried, his Charm stat would be amazingly high!**  
** With Fuuka, I'm just teasing. But that's because Minato's a bit of a softie if the person isn't already confident. He enjoys teasing Junpei, Yukari and the rest, because he knows that it's funny to see them get taken down a peg. I'll even reiterate it later, so you can see what I mean.**  
** Yup, just a little bit. His personality's so weird! And indeed, it'll be happening quite soon.**  
** Glad you liked the Navi joke! I guess I found it funny just because Navi can be really annoying. And Fuuka's voice acting for the Tartarus sections can be soo bad. XD**  
** Will do!**

**kaineHokage: Haha, glad you like them. They're some of my favourite parts to write. And I'm also glad you liked Fuuka and the Zelda reference. I thought it'd be funny.**  
** Thank you! Will do. :)**

**Yoshikunitsu: Glad! It's a bit hard to pin her quite down since she doesn't have as much as a presence in P3 as some of the other characters. And yes, it does! :)**  
** Yup yup! She's already started. With her around, Minato is just too soft to have to act badly in front of her, which is why SEES is starting to see him a little differently.**  
** In due time, you'll see.**  
** Will do. :3**

**SilverFlameHaze: Glad you think so! Minato will be setting off more new reactions later though, so I guess you can look forward to that. X3 Ah, really? Hm… I haven't watched Durarara, so I won't know…**  
** Haha. Well, you keep it in mind. Worse stuff will happen later, don't you worry.**


	21. Careless Whisper

Water surged forth from a shower.

Minato sat on a bed, his eyes squeezed shut as he tried to regather his wits. What was he doing there? He couldn't remember. At least, he couldn't then.

His mind was uncharacteristically hazy. He knew he could be crazy sometimes, but it just felt like there was a thick fog or mist covering up his thoughts and muffling them in cotton.

"Embrace your desire…"

What? He groaned, wondering exactly what the voice was talking about. The voice was almost garbled, although he could understand it just fine. Wait, was that supposed to happen? He wasn't completely sure. But whatever it was…

His desire though…

Every attempt to clear up his mind was foiled by… wait, it was her. It was her that made him so messed up. She always made him so angry and just… If he could show her just what it meant to mess with him… but she was too powerful. She'd brush him off like a common ant.

Wait, no. He couldn't let this thing do whatever it wanted. "No, not now… I can give her a piece of my mind later…" Minato muttered, shaking his head.

"I am the voice of your inner self. Enjoy the moment… That which cannot be felt is merely a dream. The present… is all we have," the strange voice rang.

His distrust and his hate which he kept bottled up. Minato wanted it all gone. He didn't want it. And the only way to relieve it… Was it just him, or did he feel uncomfortably warm thinking about it? Goddammit, what was this voice even saying!?

Every time that it talked about his 'inner desires', his thoughts wandered to that girl in the Velvet Room; Elizabeth. She just riled him up so badly and… messed him up. Think second thoughts. And now that she was permeating his thoughts, he was more anxious and nervous than he'd ever been. Again, uncomfortably so. "No, I don't want this…" he growled to himself.

"The future is but a fantasy, memory a fabrication… Let your desire free you from your shackles… Such is my wish…"

"No, I… you're not me, you don't… you don't know me…" Minato snarled, his temperament becoming even more vicious. He felt as if the images were being pushed into his mind. It wasn't him. It wasn't him! No, not Elizabeth. She was too zany, too… goddamned aggravating…

"Pleasure is what you truly want. You stand before the doorway to bliss. You cannot deny your instincts… Embrace your desire…"

Minato felt like there was only one wall left he had to get through if he wanted that damned voice gone. "No… you don't know what my damned desire is! Get outta my head!" he growled.

He stood up, feeling his thoughts were getting clearer. He was supposed to get rid of that other Shadow, wasn't he? The one they couldn't find?

The shower was running all that time, but it stopped. As Minato's back was turned, finding the way out of the room, a figure emerged from the shower room. He turned to see who it was and his eyes widened. "Shit," he muttered. It was Yukari.

She was wearing next to nothing, except for the towel that barely covered her. "W-What was I…?" Yukari muttered, shaking her head. She realised exactly what Minato had seen, strode over, and gave him a slap on the cheek before rushing back into the bathroom.

"Oh, I can finally reach you! Can you two hear me?" Fuuka asked telepathically.

"Uh, yeah, I can," Minato replied, rubbing his cheek.

"I'm sorry I couldn't contact you sooner! The Shadow was interfering with your thoughts," Fuuka explained. "You all got separated. The enemy is in the same room, so please regroup and hurry there," she said. "Did you hear that Yukari?"

"Yeah, I can hear you," Yukari called.

"Um… did something happen?" Fuuka asked.

"No, nothing!" she replied. She then exited the bathroom in her normal clothing and armour. "Let's go… don't tell anyone about what just happened."

Minato held his hands up in the unarmed position and walked out of the room. Well, he couldn't exactly blame her, but you'd think she'd have some other way of dealing with the situation other than slapping him. This wasn't an excuse, but he wasn't thinking about her at the time either…

The two headed in awkward silence to the second floor, where they regroup with Junpei and Mitsuru. One uncharacteristically quiet and the other stony faced with a frown. "Psh. Let's go," Minato sighed without another word and headed to the doors where the Hierophant was. He could only guess that something happened between them, but wasn't looking forward to figuring out what that was.

…the doors were sealed shut.

"I got it! It's the mirrors," Fuuka exclaimed. "They're giving off the same energy as the Shadow. Maybe the seal will vanish if you break the mirrors…"

Minato nodded. After figuring out that breaking the mirrors WITH reflections was a bad idea, they split up to break the mirrors where you couldn't see your own reflection. They were finally able to enter the room after they regrouped.

He sighed and deadpanned at the Shadow, cursing it as thoughts of seeing the school idol almost topless filled his mind. Waves of hatred emanated from her form, not only towards himself, but the Shadow. So much hatred, it almost felt like she was going to unleash her final form. Well, none of it was really his fault, but he got slapped anyways. Whoop-de-doo.

Observing the Shadow, sizing it up, he saw that it was a giant pink heart with googly glob wings and a crown on top. And what the hell was going on INSIDE the heart? People freaky! Welp, he absorbed the earlier Shadow. No reason not to do it now. Even though it looked… less than appealing. "Tear it open. Get your revenge," he said flatly.

Yukari didn't seem to need a signal as she fired two warning shots towards the Shadow. It dodged to her dismay. "Geez, that thing is fast," she muttered.

"Fuuka, scan it," Minato commanded.

"Alright," she replied, getting to work.

Junpei went next and dashed towards the Shadow with his katana. While he did that, Minato signalled the rest to continue the assault and opened his compendium. Junpei summoned his Persona to use a fire spell, but it didn't appear to do too much damage.

The Shadow glided towards Junpei, and he rolled to the side. He sprang back onto his feet and tried to slash with his sword. The attack made its mark, but he quickly had to dodge when the Shadow threw a pink arrow of some sort at him. It thankfully only hit his sleeve. "Penthesilea." Mitsuru summoned, taking the moment of the distraction Junpei provided. The Shadow was shocked by the cold burn of ice lodged into its body, courtesy of a Bufula spell.

Yukari smiled a little and said, "That got it!" before readying her bow once more.

"It's Arcana is Lovers. It has no weaknesses, nor resistances," Fuuka called.

However, it couldn't possibly be the end. The Lovers let out a shrill screech and a massive vortex of flames that not only melted the ice, but flung out at the team. Mitsuru quickly backed away from her weakness, while Minato merely switched over to Pyro Jack and blocked the flames. Junpei and Yukari weren't so lucky; Junpei had some only minor burns due to his resistance. Yukari's sweater caught fire and forced her to roll on the ground to put them out.

Minato tore out a piece of paper and sent it flying at the Shadow. The black page morphed into a blade, passing through the fire before piercing, and digging into the Lover's body. It let out a hell harpy scream, bringing a small smile to Minato's face. Mitsuru was helping tend to Yukari, which meant all he needed to do was lure the Lovers away to absorb it. Turning to direct more orders to the team, he said, "Final stri-"

He was cut off by another howl, and it sounded angry! Minato turned with a sigh. "Shut the…" His voice got lost somewhere in his throat. Something lodged into his chest.

His vision turned black, and the voices of his teammates faded.

Why'd he feel sadistic all of a sudden?

Yukari hurried to Minato who lay on the ground, the pink arrow embedded in his chest. The wound wasn't deep, thankfully. She pulled the arrow out and was about to patch him up with Dia.

Minato smashed his fist into her face before kicking her away. The sickening laugher that followed let everyone know that the worst was yet to come.

"You piece of shit!" Junpei snapped. "Finally shown your true colours, huh?" He glared daggers at Minato. He only snickered in response and stood up, lifting his head to reveal a feral, teeth-baring grin that made Junpei shiver. Almost as if he was staring him down like his next prey.

"Tch," Mitsuru shook her head. "Fuuka, we need Akihiko now!" She bent down to heal Yukari once again. "Iori, hold Arisato off. Be careful."

"Oh, I will," Junpei smirked. He was relishing his chance to finally get to beat the crap out of Minato with Persona alone. He could finally put the train wreck in his place. "You guys handle the Shadow. I'll take care of this asshole."

"You wanna fuck around with me goatee?" Minato snickered. "You always do that… but me? I'm just going to fuck you up." Junpei snarled in response and rushed at him.

Minato waited patiently and simply sidestepped at the last second, avoiding his blade. Junpei made another vertical slash as he turned around, which he dodged like before. The third time, Minato blocked Junpei's sword by catching it in his hand. Not that he really cared about the slight amount of blood. He planted his fist into Junpei's gut next.

He bit back the pain and stepped back before retaliating with a fist of his own. Minato caught it and replied with a punch to Junpei's chin, sending tremors through his limbs as his brain shook. He took the opportunity to snatch Junpei's sword, and slashed him across the back.

Mitsuru looked back and gasped to see Minato pounding his fist into Junpei's wounded back. With every strike, he cried out louder and louder. However, she couldn't watch any longer when she was sent sailing into the wall by the distraction.

Minato roughly held Junpei's collar and lifted him up, depriving him of breathing space. Again, he pummelled his face over and over again. Junpei was only able to shove Minato away after the tenth hit. "Damn you…!" Filled with rage, Junpei staggered over bloodied with no weapon. Minato anticipated he'd do something as reckless as that, and sidestepped it before whipping out his compendium.

When Junpei turned, he could barely make out the black surging towards his face.

Blood spattered onto the ground. A thump and Junpei's body hit the ground. His forehead busted open. Minato stood over him, grinning at the blood that streamed from his head. "Do you see the difference?" He placed his foot onto the wound, pressing down on it and almost teasing Junpei with what he knew might happen next.

"Arisato!"

Minato skidded backwards, a vicious slap making its mark on his cheek. He glared at Mitsuru who stood in front of Junpei, Evoker and rapier in either hand. The atmosphere grew heavier with tension.

At this point, the Lovers wasn't even doing anything. It just watched like the next episode in How I Met Your Mother where Marshall and Lily were arguing about what to do about the baby and their jobs and little things like that. Except, less talking, more violence, and a heaping of entertainment.

"So wonderful of you to join us," Minato smiled gleefully. Junpei slowly got up to his feet with pained winces, and a side of his face stained with sticky blood.

"Arisato, you must gain control of yourself," Mitsuru said. To any other person, it might've sounded at least concerned, but not this time.

"Haha, no." Minato tore a number of pages from his compendium and threw them at the two.

"Get out of the way." Mitsuru yanked Junpei away by the collar and hurled him to the side. While it was harsh, he was safe from the slash damage Minato just sent. Mitsuru did not have the same comfort, however. One of the pieces of paper was buried in her left arm. She held her arm tightly, trying to stop, or lessen the bleeding as much as she could.

"Jackpot." He grinned as she struggled to remove the Shadow from her arm. Mitsuru threw it away, hissing from the pain. She'd just lost her left arm, and it definitely didn't look like Minato was going to stop there.

"Hey!" Some hope returned to Mitsuru as she recognised the voice of Akihiko. Minato simply laughed. The more the merrier, right?

Akihiko stopped beside Mitsuru and took his stance. "How cute," Minato snickered as Junpei and Yukari regrouped with their senpai. It was four against one, but it couldn't matter much.

"Guys!?" Fuuka kept yelling, hoping that they'd hear her. But they were too focused on Minato, and Minato was too deep in his charm status that he couldn't hear either.

"Why don't I show you firsthand how scary I can be?" Minato asked with the fakest of smiles. "All of you… you've all treated me like shit. And now, you're going to pay."

"Go fuck yourself!" Junpei snapped.

He tore four pieces of paper from his compendium and sent them sailing through the air. Mitsuru could tell that they each contained the four elemental spells. Which was bad news because everyone was weak to one. The pages exploded on contact.

Akihiko, Junpei and Yukari were thrown across the room with their respective weaknesses. Mitsuru was the only one who ended up dodging and she in half one of the pieces aimed for her with one swipe. "Well then… I've waited for this."

"So be it, Arisato," Mitsuru replied.

Minato grabbed Junpei's katana off the floor. "This will be the longest fight of your life." With that, he bolted. Mitsuru held her rapier tightly, watching him with every bit of concentration she could muster.

He slashed for her neck, but she countered with her own sword. They were locked in a stalemate, even though Mitsuru was still injured. Minato stepped back and slashed again, forcing Mitsuru into a defensive manoeuvre. She parried the attacks every time, and it was starting to piss him off. Getting into his rhythm, she parried yet another slash and kneed Minato's stomach.

He felt every bit of the force, but shrugged it off as much as possible and grabbed Mitsuru's left wrist. The pain in her arm multiplied and spread up her arm already, and it multiplied exponentially when Minato twisted her arm and threatened to break the bone.

She winced and tried to bite back as many of her pained screams as she could. Mitsuru head butted Minato, making his grip loosen. With that opportunity, she slashed him across the cheek. He stepped back and cussed at Mitsuru, who was still trying to recover from her earlier intake of pain. Many of the muscles in her arm were damaged, if not destroyed.

Minato recomposed himself and rushed at her. Mitsuru was still trying to recollect her thoughts from the pain and the chance stared him in the face. Minato grabbed the ribbon around her neck and shoved her into the wall before punching her stomach, once, then twice.

Baring her teeth, she grabbed Minato's blue bangs roughly and rammed him headfirst into the wall. "You will regret crossing me." Mitsuru kicked him in the nads, causing him to stumble. She didn't allow him a break, however, and twisted him around. Setting her eyes on a nearby mirror, Mitsuru threw Minato into the glass. Shards of glasses shredded his face and body. She grabbed his collar and intended to throw him into the glass wall that separated the room from the shower. It would knock him out and allow them enough time to defeat the Shadow.

He growled and forcefully took control of the situation by digging his fingers into her wounded arm. She only flinched, but it was enough for Minato to throw her into the wall near the shower room. The wall shattered into millions of tiny pieces, many of which made their way into Mitsuru's flesh. She landed neck in the shower. Mitsuru tried to get up, but ended up collapsing. The pain made it too difficult.

Minato laughed, but was interrupted when a fist flew into his face. He crashed into a wall, and his head was grabbed harshly before his face was pounded into it. Two strikes and Minato finally got an opportunity to kick Akihiko in the nuts. He let out a raspy 'fuck' and was hammered into the ground before being stomped on the back multiple times.

"Serves you justice…" Minato smashed his knee into Akihiko's face before forming a dagger and digging it into his shoulder. He cried in pain but was silenced by the book smacked into his face. The dagger lodged in Akihiko's arm began to squirm, and an explosion set off. Blood began to pool around Akihiko's arm, the Garu attack rendering it useless.

Minato looked around. Junpei was still knocked out and Yukari was the only one standing. The look she gave him was one of rage, mixed with overwhelming fear. And the dread she felt. The Lovers seemed to be pleased by this turn of events, and even started to cackle in amusement.

"Wake up!" Yukari shouted, desperately trying to find a way out of this situation.

"I'm awake, and alive," Minato grinned. Yukari took a step back, her shivering hands only barely holding onto her Evoker and only barely bringing its muzzle to her forehead. "I'm not giving you any chances." He hurled a piece of paper which slashed Yukari's wrist, making her drop her Evoker. She let out a gasp as Minato headed in her direction and floored her. She tried to kick him and recover, but Minato juts caught her leg and forced her knee into the ground, eliciting a pained scream.

"Scream, bitch!" he laughed, kicking her to the side. Minato was about to follow her, but was stopped by his back being sliced. He turned to see Junpei, a ruddy handle of a katana in his grip. Minato ducked underneath another swing this time, and smashed his book into Junpei's ribs with every bit of power he could muster. That meant, his ribs cracking. And that meant, Junpei let out an agonised bellow.

Minato tore out another page, but unlike before, opted to change it into the short sword. He plunged the sword into Junpei's thigh, cutting through his flesh and bone. The sounds of pain were a given, but the sound simply turned to terror as the sword shook.

Blue electricity travelled and coursed through his body, racing through his organs and forcing a loud scream out his lips. Not stopping there, he opened his compendium and sandwiched Junpei's face between it. Cackling, maniacal screams came from the Shadows as they tore and gnawed at him. He could only flail his arms, hoping someone could help him. The reality of the situation was that it was very, very unlikely now. He finally pulled his compendium away and finished the job by knocking out Junpei with a strike to the temple.

He'd figured that Yukari might try an attack, and sidestepped the strike with her bow. He punched her stomach, burying his fist deep. Yukari shrieked when Minato grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her close. She tried to fight her way out of his grip as Minato pressed his lips to her ear.

What on earth was he doing!?

She stopped and paled. Quiet, barely audible whispers flowed into her ear. Yukari shivered, starting to regain what little wits she had and tried to claw her way out of his grip, but he didn't let go. He felt Yukari go numb against him, her eyes widened in pure horror. The whispers had broken her. Minato let go of Yukari and let her collapse on the floor, shaking and convulsing violently.

He stood over her trembling body with a satisfied smile. But he knew that the albino was probably running towards him. Why couldn't they just die? He tore out pieces of paper from his compendium as Akihiko came within striking distance, and let loose a flurry of razors aiming them all for him.

Akihiko stopped as the razors stuck into his body everywhere; his legs, arms, shoulders and even his chest. He was mortified, and paralysed as Minato counted down.

"1… 2… 3." Minato clenched his fist, and the Shadows exploded into every kind of elemental spell, ripping, freezing, searing and burning the flesh off his bones. He collapsed, eyes rolled to the back of his head.

He'd finally put all of them down.

"N-Not yet…" The voice sent Minato ballistic. That bitch was still alive! He jerked his head towards Mitsuru who was barely standing, rapier in grip. Her arm might've been bloodied and hung limp against the rest of her body, but her eyes were not. "You will regret this… I swear on my honour as a Kirijo!"

"Oh please…" He chuckled darkly. "Bloodied and we-" Minato couldn't complete that sentence (read: innuendo) as Mitsuru summoned her Persona and fired a volley of icicles, some of them finding their mark on him. He crumbled a piece from his compendium, creating a fiery shield that made the ice melt into vapour.

Mitsuru dismissed her Persona as Minato charged for her, intending the end it. He threw a punch, but she sidestepped and replied by slashing his arm. Minato growled in response and head butted her, making her stumble back. She came back in with a head butt of her own anyways. Minato tore out another piece of paper and held it near her gut. She could feel it was a fire attack; her weakness.

She stomped on his foot with her heel, which made Minato lose his grip. Next, she stamped the Shadow out of existence.

"Tch…" Minato gave Mitsuru a punch in rage, the hate forcing out blood from her. She could feel her legs weakening, but she shrugged the pain away as best as she could. This was for her team. He snapped her counterattack in pieces by bringing her broken left arm into a tight and painful triangle lock, and twisting it. That's when she ended up screaming.

The pain was overwhelming, and the rapier slipped from her grasp as her body was filled with it. She dropped to a knee as Minato just increased the pressure, and even though Mitsuru tried to fight her way out of the hold, he was hardly injured by her futile fist.

Until…

"W-What…?" Minato groaned as he felt a wave of nausea wash over him. He let go of Mitsuru, regathering his wits. She collapsed onto the ground, clutching her arm and trying to suppress her whimpers of pain. "What's going on…?" He regained his senses. His compendium fell from his grasp, the situation coming to grips instead.

Mitsuru was lying next to his feet, her arm horribly out of place.

Akihiko was sprawled on the ground, some of his flesh nearly ripped off showing bloody bone and shoulder with a hole.

Junpei's face was barely recognisable as it was caked with blood, and similarly to Akihiko's shoulder, had a deep hole from which flesh appeared to be gouged out of.

Yukari was shaking like a leaf, her eyes barely showing a grip on reality. She was the one with the least bruises, but whatever damage Minato had done left her probably more incapacitated than the rest.

"Who… who did this?" He finally uttered his first words, ignoring the pain that was starting to build in his body. He was a little hurt too, but it was nothing like them.

"Y-You've damned us all…" Mitsuru growled through gritted teeth, piercing Minato with a bone-chilling glare. "Charm or no charm, this mark will always remain."

"M-Minato-kun… you were charmed," Fuuka informed shakily. Shouting throughout the fight while he beat them all senseless and not being able to do anything about it, her voice was shaky with tears.

Minato never liked his teammates that much, but never had he ever wished to hurt them like this. Tough love was there when they were out of line or made low blows to him, but it wasn't supposed to be like this. They weren't supposed to be blacked out on the ground slowly dying with their bodies so mutilated they were unrecognisable. That wasn't on his to-do list at all.

So, he gave the Lovers Shadow the most vengeful glare. For putting that blood on his hands, that little fucker was going to pay, and he was going to enjoy every single minute of it. He'd never hated a Shadow so much… "You've signed your death warrant," Minato whispered. The Shadow that had been sitting on the side lines moments ago was forced into attacking and let out a screech in response, taunting him.

"You're done!" Minato roared in pure rage before bolting into the Shadow's face. The Lovers tried to defend itself with a volley of fire, but he just switched Personae and rushed through the flames unharmed. He morphed two pages into daggers and plunged them into the jelly-like consistency of the Shadow, tearing it open like jagged canyons carved from rock. Ultimately, the Shadow was brought to the floor.

"Sho!" Minato summoned the Brave Wheel, and he rammed the Shadow into the wall, cracks crawling across it like spider webs. The Lovers tried to recover and sent a torrent of fire at Minato, who just walked through it easily.

He threw his entire compendium towards the Shadow, and the book was plunged straight into the jelly. "Detonate!" The compendium now snug in the Shadow's body howled and screeched like the legions of hell and began to glow in blue, green, red and white.

"Die."

An explosion rang out through the room, and the pieces of flesh from its body scattered, flew everywhere with it. Flames, ice, electricity and wind swirled in a tornado, tearing the Lovers apart. The attack sent tremors through the room, prompting the members to stir. The one attack alone sent the Lovers through the walls of the hotel before it came to a stop about two rooms away, trailing debris and destruction.

Minato caught his compendium as it blasted back towards him and called, "Fuuka. Help them."

"R-Right!" Fuuka responded, disconnecting the link. Seeing his chance, Minato followed the trajectory of the Shadow. Every step, another step, it felt as if his mind was becoming hazy and numb. Fighting the feeling, he stared down the Lovers Shadow sitting on death's doors.

Torturing the Shadow further would be his absolute pleasure, but he was tired, and the Dark Hour seemed to be ending soon. He opened his notepad and forced the Lovers Shadow into incognito form before fitting it into the pad. Minato finally dropped to his knees.

His mind just didn't feel right, and that voice he'd been hearing before… the one that whispered curses and threats of pain was lingering over his shoulder. That wasn't it either. His teammates were too, mangled and red. It was him. He was charmed, but it was his blame.

Minato could barely make it to his feet before dropping his compendium and notepad onto the ground. His head was throbbing, and even though he tried to find some way to relieve the pain, it would just keep coming back. "D-Dammit…" He grabbed his belongings shakily and staggered back to the team.

Everyone was glaring.

Issues of mistrust had been there since the beginning, but now he was almost sure that he was just going to get kicked out. Before he could say anything significant, Junpei ran over to him and punched his jaw, sending him cascading to the ground. "You sick human being!" Junpei snarled.

Minato didn't fight back, nor did he have the energy to.

"You've definitely screwed up this time…" Akihiko glared.

"…I-It wasn't me," Minato tried to counter, even though he knew it was barely an excuse.

"Silence!" Mitsuru snapped. "This has gone too far."

"G-Guys…" Fuuka wanted to speak, but nobody would listen. Minato barely gave her a look as some of the members glared and hurled curses at him. They slowly began to make their way out as the Dark Hour ended, nearly leaving Minato behind them.

Almost wanting to cry, he just sighed, bit back the tears and trudged on.

* * *

**Nights: Whoop, who saw that coming? Yes, Minato beat the shit out of them and now, they know firsthand about his power. Mitsuru is prolly the only one near him, but I'd like to point out, Minato wasn't fully in his senses during the fight and Mitsuru was already handicapped. Imagine how awesome their battle would be without limitations. What do you guys think about what will happen to Minato now? Will he get kicked out? Welp, keep reading and find out. Let us know your thoughts, see you all soon.**

**Raider: Hellooooo. This part took long to edit. This time, Nights wrote the fight. Hope you like it.**  
** Plz box us yo thoughts and we'll see ya guys later.**

**Reviews :o**

**Mr. Haziq: Yup! He'll be getting every FM Shadow he can from now on.**

**SilverFlameHaze: :3**  
** I have a character named Reticle, and he's a griffin. He's really good at seeing far-away things. So then, I changed Hoshiro to Hawkeye.**

**Pureshadow013: Hahaha, well, considering the pairing… and yes, he was implying angry hate sex before.**

**Yoshikunitsu: Haha, I'm glad! Especially about Fuuka. I've definitely been guilty of leaving her out of the fun, so I hope to… I suppose, redeem myself here.**  
** That's great! I'm hoping it does seem different. **  
** And yeah. Considering his volatile personality, there's no telling what he'll do… and that might mean he might get locked out of the Velvet Room.**  
** Will do. :)**


	22. Temper a Temper

"They're faster than I expected," A young, thin man with pale skin, hair and yellow eyes spoke. He observed SEES walking away from the hotel where they fought the Hierophant and Lovers Shadows. "They've been rather busy these last few months, including their frequent forays into the tower… Their fighting style is absolutely fascinating, especially their field leader… what was his name?" He thought for a little before continuing with, "Ah yes. Minato Arisato… And they've gained more new recruits too."

He turned to another man with a mop of blue hair in a green jacket and jeans wearing a pair of glasses. "Well Jin? Are they our enemy?"

"Why don't we ask our 'buddy'?" the addressed responded. "We'll be seeing him soon."

"True enough… I still wonder about that boy's power, however…"

"He has the same one as us," a tall boy spoke. It was the voice of Kishimaru. "But… it's even more powerful. I honestly didn't think I'd see him with it… but you should definitely be careful. He has a lot of Shadows on his side."

Jin turned to Kishimaru and his team. "Is that so…?" He smirked.

"Yeah. He even has that detective chick on his side… so really, who knows what'll happen?" Kishimaru shrugged.

…

Even though Minato was tired, he just couldn't go to sleep. His body was screaming with aches despite all the Dia spells he used the day before, but his eyes wouldn't close. "You're still awake?" Minato looked to the voice, coming from his bedside.

"I can't sleep," Minato mumbled. It wasn't even the Dark Hour, but the kid was showing up.

"Why's that?" Pharos asked.

"I don't know if I can sleep… i-if I know that I feel like I can sleep here the next day," he sighed.

"Are you lonely?"

Minato glanced at Pharos. "Maybe." Yes.

"I can be your friend," Pharos smiled. "If you don't mind me being here more often… although, it's funny I say that, because I'm always with you."

"If you want," he shrugged. Thank you.

"Alright then!" Pharos got off Minato's bed. "Good night, Minato. You should try to sleep." With that, he disappeared.

"Right…" He rolled over and tried to get some shuteye. I will.

Minato only ended up getting a precious few hours before waking up again. And he did _not_ feel like going to school at all. If he did go to school, he was almost certain he'd not only be awful company, but that he could snap at anybody. He didn't feel like he could try and keep a hold of himself.

So guess what he was doing?

At about dawn-ish, he was dressed in casual clothes like nobody's business and out of the dorm. It was pretty warm, seeing as it was summer. Summer in Japan was the awful humid kind of hot where everything managed to get wet and sticky. That innuendo was not intentional. "You're not going to school?" Pharos said, hovering over his shoulder.

"O-Oh… it's you," Minato said, initially surprised by his appearance. "Yeah."

"Skiving's fun. No-one can see me, but you," Pharos informed rather helpfully.

"…okay," he nodded. So he just needed to avoid looking like he was talking to an imaginary friend.

"To adventure!" he smiled.

…that was exactly what Minato was thinking. "We'll do that." With that, the two of them headed off.

…

"Um, has anyone seen Minato-kun today?" Fuuka asked Yukari and Junpei.

"Who cares about that asshole?" Junpei growled. After what happened two days ago, he couldn't stand Minato any longer. It was just as well that he was staying away from them.

"…no," Yukari answered after a few moments. She'd only recovered from the whispering in her ear the day before. Yukari didn't have any idea how it worked or why, but it made her so scared; even more scared than when the Hierophant cast that strange Fear spell. Somehow, even though it never appeared that Minato intended to hurt them before all this, she couldn't find it in herself to trust him again.

"O-Oh, I see," Fuuka said sadly. "Do you have anything after school today?" she asked, pointing her question to Yukari. "I managed to find out more…"

"Uh no, not today. Tell me after school," Yukari said.

Sachiko strode into the room, looking at the three. "You guys… you know Minato?" she asked sharply.

"U-Um, yes," Fuuka nodded. "I've been looking for him."

"Well, I met him on the way to school. He said to me that he's skipping, so he's out… somewhere," Sachiko informed. "It's likely he won't be back in the dorm until late in the evening, or until he feels like going back."

"Good riddance…" Junpei muttered.

Yukari looked at the ground. "He told you that?"

"I've gathered you're angry at him, or scared," Sachiko observed. Junpei never seemed to hide his emotions about Minato, and Yukari tried to avoid eye-contact while mumbling. So she didn't want to talk about him. "So… what? You know about the Shadows… what happened?"

"Buzz off," Junpei gritted his teeth. He couldn't talk about that blue-haired jackass. That guy who literally attempted to kill all of them… Oh he was charmed, he knew. But once you find a reason to ostracise something that you haven't liked for a while, some people were prone to jump at the opportunity. Isn't that what happens when you hate someone? You find every reason to put them down. Even if they didn't really deserve it.

"Minato… he attacked them, but he was influenced by the Shadow," Fuuka explained quietly.

"Okay… here's to saying that he beat the crap out of the team," Sachiko said, snapping her fingers. Junpei gritted his teeth and Yukari flinched, but she pushed on anyways. "And you have your answer _why_ already. She even _just said_. It's scary, isn't it? But have you ever thought about him? Really? Have you?"

"Why should I care?" Junpei growled.

"Because, he's a person who has feelings just like you! If you knew what he was like… I'd still be a little afraid. But I know he's not just going to hurt you because he feels like it!" Sachiko exclaimed, drawing attention from everyone in the room.

"If you're gonna be like that… I don't see why he'd consider staying in your group anyways. Some friends… some teammates you are."

"H-Hey! Get back here!" Junpei said, standing up. He ran after her.

Yukari and Fuuka were left behind. "Minato-kun…" Fuuka was worried about him. She was scared of him, yes. She'd seen what he'd done to them while he was charmed, and she hadn't been able to do anything about it. Fuuka was most of all… frustrated at herself for not being able to stop him. Apologies from her to him were in order, especially with how he'd been subtly taking care of her. He probably never even noticed it himself, but she, the observant type, did. "I-I'm going to go now. Goodbye, Yukari-chan!" She could've added 'and look for Minato' to her first sentence. That was exactly what she was going to do.

"See ya Fuuka." She gave a half-hearted reply and slowly got up from her desk. She had archery.

Fuuka ran through the corridors, but not before encountering Junpei and Sachiko arguing and causing a scene in the hallway. "What's going on?" Ounishi-sensei, the science teacher encountered them.

"Sensei, I'm afraid that he's just acting immature… would you like us to leave?" Sachiko asked, ignoring Junpei's glare.

Ounishi-sensei was the homeroom teacher for 2-D, so she understood how Sachiko never missed a beat. "Yes. You're both causing a disturbance," she answered.

"I see." Sachiko quickly started walking the way she did before, while Junpei just sighed and went back to his classroom to get his bag. "Goodbye."

Fuuka had watched the exchange, a dip forming in her stomach the whole time. She probably only caught the tail end of the exchange, but neither looked happy. "Um… please wait," she squeaked, catching up with Sachiko.

"Hm? You're smarter than him, aren't you? I don't think I can handle another Neanderthal speaking more gibberish…" Sachiko said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

She gulped. Sachiko was a little… scary. Especially now. "I… I was going to ask um… if you have any idea where Minato-kun is," Fuuka managed to say.

"Well, I guess so… but I can only _guess_. Is that fine?" Sachiko asked.

"Y-Yes, it's fine! Thank you," Fuuka smiled a little, albeit nervously.

"So… I guess we can check Paulownia Mall, Iwatodai Strip Mall or Naganaki Shrine… they're on the way," she suggested. Minato had told her before that he sometimes went to Naganaki Shrine to pray for his parents. Paulownia Mall was not as common, but he also seemed to visit there often for other reasons than to shop.

"Alright… wait, you're coming with me?" Fuuka blinked.

"I was planning to go and find him today since he didn't look very happy," Sachiko said. "Might as well kill two birds with one stone… it might make things easier anyways. You are?"

She'd _just_ realised that they'd never really said their names. "I-I'm Fuuka Yamagishi."

"Sachiko Kagami. Pleased to meet you," she replied. The two of them started to walk out of the school, briefly discussing with each other things that they were doing in their spare time. Fuuka divulged that she had been trying to learn how to cook, but it wasn't going very well. Sachiko lifted an eyebrow at that, offering to help her if she ever had time. Since her parents never paid as much attention to her, it was up to her to get food for herself sometimes. Sachiko wasn't spectacular, but far from terrible.

"I have to ask… Why are you looking for him? I should've asked earlier, but it must've slipped my mind," she sighed. Maybe Minato and others around him pervaded her thoughts more than she might've initially thought.

"I… well, I wanted to help him during the fight… but I couldn't do anything and I didn't say anything," Fuuka said, looking down at the ground. "I could've too… I was too scared as well… so I wanted to say sorry to him for that."

Sachiko gave Fuuka an incredulous look. "Well… I'm sure he'd like it… I think he would. He's lonelier than you might think," she said, her expression softening.

"How so?"

"Well, I don't normally see him talking to anyone else except for me, and he always seems to sit alone too," Sachiko shrugged. "At least when he's sitting alone he's usually stuffing himself with melon bread, but still."

"Oh… and no-one really talks to him at the dorm either… he must be lonely," Fuuka said sadly. "He usually pushes them away when anyone tries to talk to him though, so why?"

"Well…" Sachiko thought for a few moments. "I'm not sure… but he might be like that because they don't trust him either. Or maybe he enjoys teasing and annoying them. Either way… if you aren't scared of him, and maybe you're closer to him than the others or something… maybe it's either because you don't share their mindset, or because… he thinks you're too fragile to try and tease. I guess you could take it as a blessing or an insult."

"O-Oh…" Fuuka said, falling silent. Was she really like that?

…

"This facility is very similar to a temple… it is a shrine," Elizabeth said as she entered. Minato trailed behind her, trying to ignore Pharos' giggling in the background. He'd been laughing about how awkward he was around Elizabeth since he'd first brought her there. Thank god only Minato could hear and see him. "I sense mysterious presences… but they're markedly different to Shadows."

"Please d-don't tell me there are spirits here…" Minato sighed. Although, somehow he wasn't sure she was joking.

"I'm a spirit!" Pharos joked, wiggling his arms and saying 'oooooo' in the background. Minato just gave yet another sigh. He needed that.

"I suppose we should begin…" Elizabeth approached the offertory box and the bell. "I shall make my opening offering here." Minato foresaw the waterfall of coins that came from her basin-like wallet. Somehow, he didn't have the heart to stop her this time. It was too much of a hassle. So, the clinking of coins continued to fill in the peaceful scene.

"Arf! Arf arf!"

"Koromaru?" Minato blinked.

"Oh? Are you thanking me for the large offering? You say that some of this money goes towards the upkeep of the shrine?" Elizabeth gasped. "Rather not to spirits… this is a great cause."

"Y-You understand him?" he stammered.

"Hey, she's passed almost one million yen now," Pharos pointed out.

"Why of course," Elizabeth just smiled. That told him nothing. "This system of monetary offerings is very similar to that of the wishing fountain…" she mused aloud.

"…that's Koromaru. H-he lives here," Minato explained briefly, trying to ignore her last comment. He didn't need to be reminded of that… embarrassment. She gave Koromaru a curious look and bent down to pat him as he walked over and sat.

He made a happy whining noise and almost seemed to be smiling. "My, my! He seems to want to accompany us."

"Don't we all?" Pharos laughed.

"…of course he does," Minato said, rubbing the back of his head.

"And, there is a place filled with strips of paper," Elizabeth said, pointing out the fortune slip box. Minato just frowned at it. "Could it be?" He'd honestly had enough of random notes just suddenly flying out of his pocket even though he was sure all of his money was in his wallet. In his bag.

"A game, where you draw these slips of paper… it appears that these have different things written on them!" Elizabeth exclaimed. Koromaru barked, appearing to explain that people usually got them on New Year's Eve. Or when finals exams for students came. That was when the money really started coming in. "How curious. I must see them all for myself."

"She's drawing a lot of the good luck ones…" Pharos said, pretending to sit on Minato's shoulders, though he had no weight.

"Wow." What was he? A machine for manufacturing bad things? He couldn't even get a slightly lucky fortune out of that goddamned box! It took a while, but eventually Elizabeth was satisfied.

"There are certainly many places for supplicants to request good fortune," she said. "I wonder why… your world is truly a wondrous place." Minato wanted to say that it wasn't really true, but just sighed.

"Right."

"Now, I have been wondering…" Elizabeth walked over to the park area. "If memory serves these must be a slide… jungle gym…" Koromaru indicated that there was also a see-saw there too. "Of course! You're very right about that.

"The inner self is exposed to any true god… Their magnanimity of spirit excuses all!" she exclaimed.

You know, Minato was starting to miss having that tour guide job forced on him before. Now Koromaru was stealing the spotlight. And he was a dog. Was he just that pathetic or…?

Elizabeth ran to the slide, and climbed to the top. Instead of sitting down, however, she stood and slid. "Uh… that was kinda… d-dangerous…" he mumbled.

"Intriguing… one must first claw their way to the top before relaxing in luxury," she said.

"That didn't _look_ relaxing. Y-You're supposed to sit on it…" Minato pointed out.

"Is that so? I should try again to experience this way." Elizabeth did just that. "Hm, yes… this is an example made to teach children of a metaphor for life. Truly clever."

"Kids aren't that complex," he sighed. Well, usually. But who saw brooding twelvies going down slides in the first place? "But… it kinda makes sense…" Minato conceded.

"Hm… it was fun!" she smiled. "Would you like to go on the slide too?" Elizabeth asked Koromaru.

"Groof."

"Ah, you're content just to watch. What about you, Minato?"

"Um… I'll pass," he said. You didn't find brooding seventeen year olds on slides either. Usually.

"That's too bad," Elizabeth sighed.

"Let's go on the slide," Pharos grinned.

…darn it. Minato breathed out and climbed, sitting himself at the top. He felt like such a kid doing this. And it was embarrassing… but at the same time… well, there was a time that he liked slides and it was rushing back into him. Not that he'd ever admit it. "Happy now?"

"More than," she giggled. "You seemed rather excited."

"You're kidding yourself."

"Or am I?" Elizabeth gave her enigmatic smile and turned towards the jungle gym. "How does one use this?"

"You climb," Minato answered simply. She just lifted an eyebrow, and Koromaru looked up at him expectantly. He shook his head and hung onto the green pipes, climbing to the top. "Easy."

"Interesting…" She copied where Minato stepped, and sat next to him. "My, things seem much wider here than they were before…"

"It happens… w-when you're high up," he said. You know, now was as good a time as any. "U-Um… I-I have to tell you about something. If I d-don't, something'll happen, and you'll start to hate me m-more than you already do," Minato sighed.

"How so?" Elizabeth asked. And he said that as if she truly utterly hated him. It wasn't necessarily the case then.

"Well… I guess it was about… what happened. T-Two days ago," he muttered. "It isn't about what I did… I don't want someone else rubbing that in."

"Then what is it?

"The S-Shadow… tried to put thoughts in my head…" Minato admitted. "I broke free… but what I thought was just…"

Elizabeth tilted her head. What was he getting at?

"I kept… thinking about you," he mumbled. "And… it was just… really bad." Minato couldn't find another subtle way to put it.

She didn't seem to have a way to react in kind either. "Me?"

"Yeah. You. Seriously… you annoy me, somehow you can get under my skin, and… you help me too… it's kinda weird…"

Elizabeth became silent. "Minato… I have been requesting to go to your world to fulfil my own hunger for knowledge about your world," she said. "But somehow I wonder if I enjoy these outings just because of the novelty… or because I do have you with me." He bit his lip. Was that how it was? "It's a mystery… you're rather stubborn, it's almost irritating… but somehow I think your circumstances make me care about your welfare even more so."

"So can we conclude by saying that we irritate each other… but we aren't at each other's throats like we were before?" Minato asked.

"I suppose so," Elizabeth nodded.

"I didn't know Minato had a girlfriend." Holy shiiiiiiite it was Sachiko

"M-Minato-kun?" Fuuka stammered.

"She's not my girlfriend," he deadpanned. "She's… she's a friend."

Wolf whistle. "Alright, alright. Looks like we'll have to come back later," Sachiko laughed amusedly. "Come on Fuuka."

"Y-yes!" And she followed.

"Are they your friends? I am a friend?" Elizabeth asked as they walked off.

"Yeah."

"Are all of your friends girls?"

He had no idea how to answer that.

* * *

**Raider: Hello guys. Hope you liked the chapter. Expect progression to Yakushima coming. And yes, Pharos will be around so Minato isn't such a lonely fairy. And that encounter Sachiko has with Elizabeth and Minato will not be over. Same with Fuuka. Nights doesn't want to say anything so…**

**Plz box us yo thoughts and we'll see you later.**

**Aniki120: Can't do anything about it. Better just look forward to the next Full Moon then or just enjoy the drama while it lasts.**

**SilverFlameHaze: Hm, we'll see. I'm never very enthusiastic about writing Tartarus sections… and I haven't decided whether he's enough of a douche for that. Yet.**

**Mr. Haziq: They are. Minato has been a douche back too, and he's going to change again. It's people. When people are angry let along bloody and beaten, do you see them acting rationally? I guess I tried to explain it with Junpei in the chapter. Well, I dunno if you agree, but that's what I think would happen.**

**Afterados: Thanks a lot.**

**Sacchin: Well, it'll last a bit longer. Minato still has something that he wants to do which he may only get with SEES' help, so he'll deal with them… and SEES needs the manpower too.**  
** That's a surprise for later.**  
** Thanks. Glad you liked it.**

**Pureshadow013: You're right. I'll explain what's happening to the rest of the SEES members later too, so you can see what's happened. **  
** Haha, yeah… to be honest, I DID remember what happened with Alternity Paradox, and I think it made sense and would've happened. But I guess this is to an even greater degree.**


	23. Wounded Prey

Awkward was likely Minato's middle name.

Sachiko watched amusedly the scene of Minato saying goodbye to Elizabeth. He stammered, and Minato could not get a straight sentence out without Elizabeth throwing in yet another witty remark. Eventually Elizabeth did leave, with a skip in her step. She mused that part of Minato's awkwardness came from the fact that Elizabeth seemed to make her comments at the worst of times, catching him off guard. They were _designed_ to make him annoyed, frustrated, disappointed… flustered. Sachiko needed to talk to her and find out how it was she did it, but later.

"So, who was your friend?" she asked.

"Just… S-She's Elizabeth," Minato said, scraping his foot on the ground and swallowing back some blood. He hadn't talked to someone that much in a little while.

"Elizabeth? She's… I felt a lot of power coming from her," Fuuka mumbled. "I could feel it, even without my Persona."

"…She is," he replied, but realised his answer didn't make sense pertaining to the question. "If I try to fight her, she um… hands my ass to me," Minato said dejectedly.

"Well Minato… I believe she has something to say to you," Sachiko said, urging Fuuka forward. She had more questions for him, but Fuuka took priority.

"Hm?"

Fuuka bit her lip and she was shaking, but she had to say it. "I-I wanted to say… um… I'm sorry, Minato-kun."

Minato up until then had something of a frown on as he wondered, but it softened into his usually blank face. "For what?"

"I-It's just that… during the operation, I wanted to help you and everyone else. But I was too scared… and I couldn't," Fuuka admitted, clenching her fists tightly. Minato opened his mouth to say something, but he stopped himself. He better let her finish. "I felt like if I could do something… maybe the others wouldn't be like this… so I'm sorry that I didn't help you more."

He gave a glance to Sachiko, who just shrugged and gestured to Fuuka. She wasn't behind this, it seemed. "It's fine. T-They didn't trust me before anyways," Minato sighed. He could pretend to be fine with it all he could, but it wouldn't change the fact that his downtrodden state was starting to turn into something else. Well, future self could deal with it later. "Surprised you're thinking of me."

"W-Why wouldn't I? Um… I know that you don't um… I guess you don't speak to the others the same way," Fuuka said. "Why is that?"

"…they're easier to t-tease than you are," Minato said, putting his arms behind his head. "I'm just being soft. And I guess I like your… um… attitude m-more."

"O-Oh…" Yup, she was at a loss for words.

"Smooth!" Pharos finally cut in.

Minato so wished to send him a mental 'shut up', but he actually needed to talk to him for it to work. "So yeah… what now?" he asked.

"Um, I'm going to go back to the dorm. I need to discuss things with Yukari-chan," Fuuka said. "I-I'll see you later, Minato-kun." And she ran off.

"…you told them a-about me s-skiving?" Minato asked. Well, he assumed that was what she was going to do with the information. He was pretty sure that they didn't really care though. At least, as far as Junpei's concerned. Yukari, he wasn't so sure.

"Of course. It wasn't going to be my fault if someone ended up crying for your absence," Sachiko replied dryly. Not that anyone would, but both of them knew not to say something like that. And really, if anyone was going to say something like she knew they just thought, it was going to be Minato that said it.

"Well, okay," Minato sighed. Then, he gave her a knowing glance. "Do you w-want me to talk to your um… Shadow?" Sachiko looked at the ground. In truth, she did. But at the same time… Minato was already going through a lot of things. She couldn't impose. "Too late, I'm doing it."

"W-What!?" Sachiko said. "N-No! You've already got a lot of things to deal with, so…"

Minato was going to come back with a self-deprecating remark, but stopped himself. True enough, he actually would've liked to stay with SEES. Certainly, he didn't want to for the characters in the group, but for the information. "It's nothing," he mumbled.

"You're there, aren't you?" Minato whispered.

"Minato, stop. You have things to deal with, and it's not that bad," Sachiko said through clenched teeth. "You should go back to the dorm… and sort things out."

"You know, I think you should listen to her…" her Shadow replied.

"I don't _want_ to go back to the dorm," he said flatly to Sachiko.

"Minato, you can't use this as an excuse…" Both sides of her said in unison.

Actually, now that he was thinking about it, there was this hazy buzzing at the back of his head… "Tch…" He turned heel and stared down the ground. "Sorry." Minato kicked one of the poles of the jungle gym and groaned. Could he even remember whether he was in a good mood before this? It felt wrong… whatever he was feeling, this thing flaring up in his chest and heating his head… it felt wrong. He felt angry.

A deep-seated something was there. He hadn't felt so much resentment before, but he kept it down before he spilt it and let it tumble from his mouth like a waterfall. Words. Words that he wanted to say to those _pretentious little bastards in those DAMNED RED ARMBANDS_

"M-Minato…" Sachiko reached for his shoulder, shuddering. With tears or anger, or maybe both. He slowly lifted his head and let out a growl before gently taking her hand off him.

"I… I guess I should find a way to deal with them… haha…" Minato said. His laugh was hardly a laugh.

"More than that, I think you really need to take a rest!" Sachiko exclaimed. "Slow down for a minute… you need to calm down. If you talk to them now, you know what will happen."

He would snap, as would their teammate relationship, or at least, what remnants of their relationship remained from the most recent train wreck.

Ragged breaths escaped him as he attempted to calm down. His blood ran cold and frigid through him. The heat clouding his vision and mind was being replaced by ice. He wasn't sure what the hell was happening. Things just felt wrong. He wanted to scream into the abyss until he lost his voice, run until his legs were pitiful stumps against the rest of his body, listen until his ears bled… there were so many things running through his head. He was surprised he _wasn't_ overheating or something of the sort.

Minato didn't and couldn't feel right in his own skin. His fingers inched through his clothes and skin to tear him from the inside out. But no, it didn't feel right.

Nothing felt right.

And he didn't know why. He could almost swear that he felt it before too. But where?

"Sachiko, I do need to go back to the dorm…" he said lowly, bringing worry to Sachiko's throat. "And I need to sleep. Sleep until… I don't feel so bad anymore."

"I think that would be best too," she agreed. "Can you walk?"

"…I'll be fine," Minato muttered. "I don't know if I want to deal with them as I'm coming in though…"

"I'll go with you," Sachiko said. "I don't care what they say." You know, she actually didn't have that much of an idea as to why and how she was able to get so worked up over Minato. Was it because he was helping her? Was it because he needed help? Was it because she really thought of him as that close a friend?

They weren't the kinds of people that knew each other inside out. It wouldn't be like that for a long while, but it wasn't like Minato… well, as far as she knew, he didn't lie that often. And she never did as far as she knew. Sachiko in a long time was given someone that she could depend on. She managed to find someone that would care about what she said, and someone that listened. Maybe she wouldn't know exactly how much of what he was saying was false, but what mattered was that he could listen. And he tried to help in what ways he can.

Of course, she'd stop him if he was pushing himself too hard.

Minato found it hard to even mutter a 'thanks', and opted to give a small smile instead. It wasn't like the kind of genuine ones you'd see on happy people. It was like the smile you saw in a cracked mirror. Then, you told yourself that what you saw in the glass shards wasn't real. But… he was saying 'thank you'. That was what mattered. Then, he started to walk.

"Arf arf!"

"See ya Koromaru," Minato waved a little, and Koromaru gave some happy whines in response.

"Goodbye," Sachiko nodded, receiving yet another farewell bark from the shiba-inu.

"S-Sachiko… I have to ask…" he mumbled, taking his steps slowly.

"Hm?"

"I haven't… seen you this worked up before."

"And?"

"Why?"

She breathed out. "Well… your other teammates… they made me angry. I couldn't understand how they would want to ostracise you like they do… I'm sure they had some degree of distrust, but forcing yourself to hate someone. Being perpetually afraid of someone's next move… I can't understand how they'd want to do that to someone like you."

"Like me?" Minato blinked. As she spoke, the cold burn didn't seem to fade, but was muffled by the conversation.

"Yes. Someone like you," Sachiko nodded. "Minato, I don't really know what they think… but I think you're a genuinely good person."

"I'm flattered…" he mumbled.

The doors to the dorm seemed to be taller than usual. It was just enough to fit people of their size (give or take, 160-170cm), but not so as the two stared it down. Sachiko reached for the handle and looked back to Minato, who had more of a frown on. After giving her a nod, she pushed the door open.

The two of them were deer in headlights as everyone directed their stares to the new visitors. "Why weren't you at school?" Mitsuru asked coldly.

Before Minato could even try to explain himself… "I bet you'd like to know that, but I doubt any of you actually care."

"S-Sachiko…" he stammered. "D-Don't…" Oh, but he wanted her to rip into all of them…

"That was rather uncalled for," Pharos blinked. "That was quite the outburst." Minato agreed. And he would make no effort to stop her.

But really. Most of the dorm members became silent at that. "How dare you…" Mitsuru said, biting her lip.

"Yeah. Because he's my friend. If you guys were really teammates, you'd know…" Sachiko narrowed her eyes.

"Sachiko, I need sleep," Minato murmured.

"…go to sleep then," she sighed. "I've said more than I needed to."

Almost uncertainly, he made his way up the stairs, feeling stares and glares… many apprehensive looks clung to his back as he walked. Once entering his room, he got ready to go to bed straight away.

"Why're you defending him?" Akihiko asked. Not that he would ever show it… Akihiko was not only angry at the fact that Minato had hurt his friends. But perhaps it was something part of his competitive nature that made him angry at himself for letting Minato get the better of him. He wasn't even supposed to be much of a physical fighter. He could definitely snap him like a twig… if not for those Shadows and Persona. The way that he was able to use them was to devastating effect. But Akihiko didn't want to depend on something like that. Ultimately, that would be his fault for falling behind, which was also part of the reason that made him keep Minato a little closer if he needed to.

"Didn't you hear me? He's my friend… whatever went wrong, I'm sorry. But he would never, ever, do anything like that on purpose," Sachiko said, folding her arms. "If you're teammates… you should be trying to support him and make sure nothing happens to anyone, including him, ever again."

"Psh. We can get on without him…" Junpei said stubbornly. For Junpei, it would've been something of the complete opposite. He felt the same helplessness that Akihiko did in terms of strength, without so much as a good purpose. Junpei felt rage when Minato was better than him, and the earlier incident only gave him a better reason to hate him. Something that started off as jealousy turned into something else, and he would've been more than happy to have Minato out of the picture.

Sachiko pinched the bridge of her nose. She could _not_ deal with Junpei's robust stupidity without getting a headache. It was irrationality at its worst. At least, as far as she was concerned. "We also cannot simply discard him as an ally, Iori," Mitsuru cut in.

"Why not!?"

"He is stronger than us… and has more experience. We can't afford to lose any more assets, even though he is the most volatile of us all," Mitsuru explained. "I cannot say that it will be easy to deal with him. I would rather not."

"Are you saying we should risk our safety… just so we can get to this goal of yours?" Yukari said with a furrowed brow.

"Yukari-chan… he might be powerful, but he wouldn't turn on us and attack if he could help it," Fuuka squeaked out.

"Well, that's one person I'd listen to…" Sachiko shook her head.

"Well you weren't bloody mauled to near death, were you!?" Junpei growled, standing up.

No, she wasn't. "No. Because Minato protected me, you dimwit…"

"That's enough!"

Everyone turned to Mitsuru. "Kagami, I politely request that you leave the premises. Everyone else, settle down. We are having a meeting in two days' time so we can discuss it all then." Sachiko sighed and strode out of the dorm. She really shouldn't have picked a fight anyways.

…

It still took a while for Minato to get any sleep that night, so he could hear them shouting from below. He felt a pit growing in his stomach, and a lump forming in his throat. Man, they really didn't like him. That thought alone made his blood icy. He could not stand to think that Sachiko of all people would put herself out to defend him. It wasn't like he was that good a person. In fact, he himself thought he was pretty horrible, but that might've just been him.

And yet, he felt no motivation to try and fix that any time soon. He didn't want them to like him, but at the same time… he did. He wasn't supposed to let them get close to him. They were just supposed to stay alive and do their thing while he led them in the field.

Oh well.

A few days had passed and true to Mitsuru's word, they were having a meeting to discuss what happened on the night of the full moon.

He could go on about the exposition that went on about the fight and the comments Ikutsuki made… but Yukari cut his work out for him. "Mitsuru-senpai, I have to ask you something before we go on."

"Me?"

"Since I've joined, a lot of things have happened… I went along with it, not really knowing what was going on. But I want to know the truth, and I'm going to ask you straight out," Yukari said gravely. "You're hiding something from us, aren't you senpai? You act as if you don't know anything about the Dark Hour and Tartarus, but they're related to that accident ten years ago, aren't they?"

Minato's eyes widened. Where was she going with this? He knew about it, for sure, and he'd never forget it. But he hadn't known how it was related to the Dark Hour and Tartarus like she said. It was part of the reason why he was in SEES and now he was going to find out? "What kinda accident?" Junpei asked.

"There was an explosion near our school, and a lot of people died. It was big news back then. You know about it, don't you?" she said, narrowing her eyes at Mitsuru.

"Yes…" Mitsuru nodded.

"Thankfully, no students were injured. But around the same time, a large number of students were recorded as absent. Seems like more than just a coincidence, doesn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I dug up some old school records and found something interesting. The students that were recorded as absent all collapsed suddenly, and had to be hospitalised. Sound familiar? Like the girls that bullied Fuuka…"

Mitsuru averted her gaze to the ground.

"There has to be an explanation! What really happened on the day of the accident? The Kirijo Group built it, so you must know something. Tell me the truth."

"I never meant to hide this from you. It just never seemed relevant…"

"It's okay Mitsuru. It's not your fault," Ikutsuki reassured.

"…Alright. I'll tell you the whole story. The Shadows have many mysterious abilities. Some research indicates that they can even affect time and space. We think of them as our enemies, but what if we could somehow use them to our advantage? They would be a source of unimaginable power, wouldn't they?" Mitsuru said, giving a glance to Minato.

"I-I didn't know they could do that," he mumbled. As for Mitsuru, her biggest misgiving about Minato was the fact that he DID have an amount of Shadows literally carried along with him the whole day. What were the risks that something similar could happen? It would not bode well for anyone involved; not just the rest of SEES.

"Fourteen years ago, one man pursued that line of thinking… He was the former leader of the Kirijo Group, Kouetsu Kirijo… My grandfather," she explained. "My grandfather was obsessed with the Shadows. He wanted to harness their powers and use them to create something extraordinary," Mitsuru said. Despite what she said, her frown betrayed her words.

"Harness their power?" Fuuka asked nervously.

"He assembled a team of scientists, and over several years collected a significant number of Shadows," Mitsuru continued.

"What!? That's damned freaking crazy…" Junpei exclaimed.

"However… Ten years ago, during the final stages of the experiment, they lost control of the Shadows' power. Consequently, the nature of the world was altered," she murmured.

"You mean…?" Fuuka mumbled.

"Yes. Tartarus and the Dark Hour," Mitsuru nodded. "By their account, the mass of Shadows they collected split into several large ones that then dispersed. These are the Shadows we've been encountering on nights when the moon is full."

"Hm, this is escalating quickly…" Pharos noted. Minato rolled his eyes. This actually sounded important. So now he knew why the Dark Hour existed and the people responsible for its creation. People that he would never see to draw blood from.

"Is that why they've been appearing in different places?" Fuuka asked.

"Wait a minute… If what you said is true, then why did our school turn into Tartarus?" Yukari gasped. "Don't tell me… That's where they conducted the experiment!?" she exclaimed. Mitsuru nodded in agreement. "Then those students that were hospitalised…"

"I'm afraid it's just as you're thinking. Port Island must have been an ideal location for them. It was a highly-populated area, and the Kirijo Group had influence there. They could do as they pleased…" Well, Mitsuru certainly didn't _look_ pleased explaining that. "As you guessed, the experiment ten years ago was conducted at Gekkoukan High School."

"Does that mean… all we've been doing is cleaning up their mess? You lied to us!?" Yukari said, her voice rising in tone with every word.

Minato looked down at his compendium. How many Shadows DID he have packed into it? Now he was starting to be afraid… what if something happened? Granted, he'd never experiment or cause rifts in time and space or something, but that was still freaky to know that maybe… just maybe, his book held such a great power. And he'd missed some of what the others were saying. "Think what you'd like… It was my decision not to share that information. I'm sorry. I never intended to deceive you. Convincing you to join SEES was my highest priority. As absurd as it may seem, only we—with our Personas—can fight the Shadows," Mitsuru said.

"Peachy. That's why you aren't letting me go," Minato murmured.

"…some of us were never given a choice," Mitsuru muttered, shaking her head. Guilt trip, right there.

"Mitsuru, don't…" Akihiko whispered.

"Yukari… It's those in the past who are to blame. And they lost their lives as a result of what they did… We're all in the same boat, here; none of us are deserving of the burden that's been thrust upon us," Ikutsuki said. Yukari wanted to protest, but she couldn't speak more as Ikutsuki continued. "It's been ten years since that incident… No one knows those Shadows suddenly returned. But, since they're active, at least we can find and destroy them… Do you realise what this means?"

"What if I told you those twelve Shadows are the cause of all of it?"

"Are you saying that if we defeat them all… the Dark Hour will disappear?" Fuuka asked.

"Exactly! That's what I was going to tell you earlier. See? It's good news, isn't it?" Ikutsuki smiled.

"Is that true?" Fuuka asked.

"Yes. There's evidence that supports it. Now, our true battle begins," Ikutsuki replied. Evidence? What did that mean? Minato lifted an eyebrow. There was something that he wasn't telling them… But no-one would listen to him. "Regardless of what's happened in the past, we must fight to protect the people. The Shadows are gaining strength. We can't afford to just wait for them. And there are many mysteries still surrounding Tartarus. Why did such a gigantic structure appear in the first place? The answer must lie within it."

"Um…" Minato mumbled, raising his hand.

"What is it?" Mitsuru asked.

"What do you mean… b-by evidence?" he asked.

"I understand you must be sceptical," Ikutsuki said. "For now, the evidence I mentioned… it still needs a little more fine tuning. For now, defeating the Shadows is the best lead we have! And letting them roam free would cause destruction in the city, wouldn't it?"

So even if he could have room to be sceptical, there was still no way of getting out of it.

"And what do you mean by defeating the Shadow?" He had been sealing them for his own use later, but if there was something about them…

"Well, I mean they should be destroyed, completely," he replied.

"Oh. Okay then…" Minato said, rubbing the back of his head. That was sad. He could get rid of those Shadows at a later date if he needed to, but he'd captured them because why not, and while they were annoying to fight, were pretty powerful in their own rights. Not that they'd compare to Kishimaru and Sho, but hey. You did with what you had.

"Is there something wrong?" Ikutsuki asked.

Fuuka gave Minato a worried glance. She'd managed to see what Minato did after SEES was unconscious. And she wasn't sure of what had happened herself either. She wasn't even sure if Mitsuru remembered what she'd saw. Fuuka decided she would definitely ask him about it later. "No, I was just curious."

The chairman gave Minato a sceptical look, and Minato looked with his own. Things were off with the both of them, but no-one would say why. No-one would know why either.

"Uh… so, what are we doing in the holidays?" Junpei exclaimed, duly breaking the tension.

* * *

**Raider: Hello guys. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Most of this was exposition from the game even though I changed some of it. Sorry if it was a bit boring, but I had to include a lot of it. Minato's finally getting what he wants. And I'm sure you readers can connect the dots on your own to some of the next clues in the story.**

**Plz box us yo thoughts and we'll see you guys later.**

**Reviews! :P**

**Afterados: Oh your reviews never fail to make me cheerful for the next chapter!**  
** It'll affect the plot sooner than you might think! :D Or at least, as far as Minato is concerned.**  
** I thought it would work. I'll… leave my other comment for later. Ehehehe…**  
** Oh no! I meant 'skiving'! 'cause skiving means to skip things, so skiving off from school kinda makes sense? :o **  
** Oh god, she does more of that this chapter too! I'm glad you like it. The characters will be getting screentime… later. Yukari, very soon so hopefully I don't forget. For now, I'm glad you like how Fuuka's turning out!**  
** Man, I loved writing that part! It was so much fun. I'm glad you loved Pharos and Koromaru. I thought someone would find it funny.**  
** You're right! They're getting a little closer every meeting. :) And yup, Minato's opening up a little… man, I love it when things come together… *laughs evilly***  
** Glad! Actually, a LOT of people liked the last part! :o**  
** Thanks, and will do! :D**

**Pureshadow013: Yup! I didn't get to include him much this chapter, but seeing as it's comedy chapters come up… well, I hope you like his little appearances.**  
** Yeah, unfortunately. ._.**

**SilverFlameHaze: Haha, I know, I know. Koromaru is technically a guy… **  
** Oh yes. But none of the others know about him. Yet. XD**  
** I actually like that you noticed that! I don't know whether I'm doing it on purpose or not, but it's nice to notice. Heehee. We'll see what happens then! I like how you described Minato… because that's exactly what he's doing.**  
** Angel in the Machine-Hollow man? Care to enlighten me as to what it is? :P**

**Mr. Haziq: I'm glad you found it funny! :D**

**Yoshikunitsu: Yeah, I've been getting the response!**  
** Hopefully, ne? He'll shine in the next few chapters, seeing as they're funnier than anything else at least. Oh, yes… and she snapped too.**

**Sacchin: lol, I'm glad you enjoyed it! :P Oh, yes. Sachiko has to meet her later.**


	24. Salty Air

Why did the sun have to be so bright? If Minato was in a joking mood, he would've said he was a vampire and slowly shrivelling up in the rays while he lay in the water like a starfish. He liked that the water spreading over him was nice and cool. The warmth, he didn't mind so much since it was Japanese summer norm. But looking up in the sky blinded him, burnt his eyes and killed the mood. Damned sun for being so bright.

"Are you just going to sit there and float until you get pruny?" Pharos asked, hovering above Minato.

"Bitch I might," Minato sighed. Oh well, at least Pharos kept him company.

As it turned out, to take a rest from the fighting part of SEES, they went to Yakushima for vacation. He wasn't all that ecstatic, even though mid-terms were over. Actually, now that he thought about it, he hadn't paid as much attention to how he was doing during the test either. Well, Minato was pretty sure he did fine, but… oh well.

Pharos just chuckled. Oh Minato, he was so funny. "Well, you came here first. Don't you want to see the others in their swimsuits?" he asked.

"…do I? Do I really?" Minato deadpanned at Pharos, who just giggled like nothing was wrong. "Psh… I'll be thinking about… um…"

"Are you thinking about Elizabeth?" Pharos asked with a knowing smile on his face.

Minato sighed. "I've thought about angry hate sex with her courtesy of the Lovers Shadow. What do you think?"

"Awwwwwhhh," Pharos grinned obnoxiously. "I almost smell a romance brewing."

"You'd better put emphasis on the 'almost'…" he muttered. Eventually Minato did drift a little closer just to hear what Junpei was saying. As it turned out, he was apparently trying to grade each of the female members on their swimwear. To put it shortly, Yukari was pretty hot, Fuuka was cute and Mitsuru was beautiful as fuck. That was without his very embarrassing comments.

Akihiko… well, he had speedos on. That was about as much as Minato would be willing to comment on.

The others started splashing water on each other once they finally reached the waves and Minato had no intention of participating. Actually, most of them didn't really want to participate, but they were acting in spirit of the holiday season; mostly by Junpei's insistence.

But did it matter? Who was he kidding?

Well, no-one. Because someone accidentally put a shot of water right into his face and Pharos started laughing his ass off. Little bastard. "Guys, what the hell!?" he shouted, scrabbling the salt water from his eyes. He was having fun getting pruny and doing nothing in the water! Geez! Way to tear apart a man's peace!

"Sorry Minato-kun!" Fuuka exclaimed. "Are you alright?" Oh. It was Fuuka.

He guessed he could let it slide. "Yeah, I'm fine…" Minato muttered as he went back to what he was doing before. This time, paying more attention to how the water fight was going for fear of yet another load of water haphazardly thrown onto his face.

When the team came to the island, many of them made their first meetings with Takeharu Kirijo: Mitsuru's scary eye-patch wearing father. After Junpei finished gawking at the maids (unfortunately Minato and Akihiko did not share his enthusiasm) and the fact that they had maids, they'd had a brief amount of eye contact with the trench-coat wearing man as he walked past. Many of them regretted it.

Just before that, he learned that the kid called Ken was being considered to join their team. It went something like…

"Ah, friendship… How beautiful! Adolescence is such a wonderful thing! So full of vibrancy!" Ikutsuki exclaimed from behind Junpei, Yukari and Akihiko. Fuuka would have come along too, but she was called by Natsuki to help her with a mandatory study session. Minato also wasn't there since he decided to make his way back to the dorm at a considerably slower pace. Not to mention, why the hell would he hang out with them?

"Mr. Chairman…" Yukari blinked as he approached.

"Oh, hello. I just stopped by to pick someone up. I might as well introduce you to him now," he said. Ikutsuki called and a boy came walking behind him. It was…

"Hello." Ken Amada.

"Oh, hi Ken-kun. What's up?" Yukari asked.

Akihiko flinched as he came into view. "Y-You know him?"

"He doesn't leave during the break due to his circumstances…" Ikutsuki explained briefly and vaguely.

This left Yukari to ask the clarifying question, "Oh I heard about that… something about his parents?"

"It was only me and my mom, but she got in an accident, and she… she died. It happened two years ago," Ken explained with stony features.

"…Right now, one of his distant relatives is paying for his school expenses. But, staying at the elementary school dorm all by himself isn't proper for a child his age. So, I decided to move him to your dorm for the summer," Ikutsuki said, pressing his glasses to his face.

"To _our _dorm!? Do you really think that's a good idea!?" she exclaimed.

"Why, of course. He has the potential," he replied simply.

"Then, he's the new candidate…?" Akihiko murmured.

"Yes… But, as you can see, he's still just an elementary school student. So, it is merely a possibility for now," Ikutsuki continued, seemingly trying to justify himself.

Cutting out Ken's fanboying over Akihiko, Minato thought that the fact Ikutsuki was even considering trying to bring him into the team was disgusting in itself. He supposed that in the interest of utility, Ken would be a great addition to the team. In the interest of morality, allowing a child to fight against eldritch abominations and larger versions of these eldritch abominations to end the Dark Hour seemed wrong.

Maybe it was just because Minato had been thinking back to when he was about Ken's age. He was definitely biased in that respect.

At Ken's age, he couldn't rein in his emotions at all. He'd vividly remembered making multiple attempts to himself when no-one was looking, but not being able to actually do anything about it because of his last second thoughts. Until he'd found a goal to work towards, Minato told himself that he wouldn't let his body lie. And apparently that evening was the day when many of his questions were going to be answered.

That was why he listened to Takeharu's words as everyone gathered. "From what I understand, Mitsuru's already given you the short version," he began. After earning a nod from Yukari who seemed to have the same eagerness as Minato, if not more so, Takeharu explained, "Well, it's true… We adults are to blame. If I could've atoned for it with my life, I would have done so… Now, I have no choice but to rely on you. What my father wanted to create with those monsters' power... was a time manipulation device."

Mitsuru's surprise definitely showed on her face. "That's what he was trying to do?"

Minato's fists tightened as he heard. A time manipulation device? "Imagine if you could control the flow of time… eliminate unwanted events before they occur. With such a device, you could shape the future to your liking," Takeharu said grimly.

"That's insane…" Junpei muttered.

"However, under my father's direction, the research began to stray from its original goal. In his later years, my father seemed to have only nihilism in his heart." Takeharu closed his eyes. "Now that I think about it, his madness may have resulted from his struggle to break free from that… It's only natural that you want to know the truth… and it's my duty to tell you."

A video flickered to life in the now darkened room, prompting Akihiko to ask, "What's this…?"

"This is the only existing footage of the accident, recorded by a scientist who was at the scene," Takeharu explained.

The sound and visuals were fuzzy at best, but it was enough to make out the appearance of a scuffed brunet in a lab coat in the frame, standing in front of equipment and licks of fire in the background. "I pray that this recording reaches safe hands…"

Yukari recognised the voice immediately. Even after a decade, she could still remember it vividly as she read his last words only on a piece of paper. "That voice!?"

"My employer has become obsessed with a loathsome idea. This experiment should have never even been conceived… I'm afraid what I've done will result in an unprecedented disaster… But if I hadn't, the entire world may have paid the price…" the scientist spoke. Minato narrowed his eyes, as if trying to curse whoever it was, but just barely stopped himself. He hadn't even heard everything yet.

"The entire world…?" Fuuka gasped.

"Please, listen carefully... The Shadows that were amassed here have been dispersed as a result of the explosion," he said. For a moment, the visuals became clearer and the sound just a smidge cleaner. "To end this nightmare, you must eliminate all of them! I am to blame for this. I knew the risks, but I was blinded by the promise of success… And so, I didn't raise any objections… It is all my fault…" Through his words, a smile appeared on his face before the recording was stopped.

Yukari stood up, looking at the screen in utter disbelief. "D-Dad…?"

"You mean that was…?" Fuuka started, unable to continue her sentence as Mitsuru opened her mouth to speak.

"Father…?" She hadn't seen that video before and knowing that new information had definitely piqued her interest.

"His name was Eiichiro Takeba…" He cast a glance to Yukari. "He was the head researcher at the time, and a very talented man. But, we are the ones who are responsible. We pushed him to continue the research. The Kirijo Group is to blame for his death."

"I… I can't believe it…" Mitsuru swallowed thickly.

All the while, Yukari's shoulders were shaking. "So, that means… my dad caused it all…? The Dark Hour, Tartarus… The people who died in that incident… It was all his fault…?" she only managed to get out.

"Y-You okay?" Akihiko blinked. Minato scoffed. That was the most terrible question he'd ever heard that whole evening.

Ignoring Akihiko, Yukari turned to Mitsuru with a rising voice, "So, that's why you were hiding this…? Because you felt sorry for me? Is that it!?"

"No, Takeba, I…"

Yukari cut her off. "I don't want your pity!" She went running out of the room.

"Um… Shouldn't someone go after her?" Fuuka said awkwardly, scanning the office. Most turned away, except for Minato who seemed just as angry but was just managing to hold it in.

It looked like his teasing game was over. Only giving Fuuka a narrow glance that sent shivers down her spine, Minato strode out after her.

So apparently it was Yukari's father's fault, but ultimately the Kirijo Group's fault. Now that he knew it, what was he going to do? Well, the thing is, he was thinking he could wreck their shit, but that would be counterproductive.

He found Yukari on a nearby beach, standing near the water. Although she might've flinched form his presence alone, Yukari didn't and only said, "I believed in him for so long… This is too much… Remember what I told you at the hospital…?" Minato opened his mouth, but clenched his teeth shut as she continued. "How my dad died when I was little…? You understand now, right…? He died in that incident. Nobody knew the truth, so there were all sorts of rumours… Because he was in charge of the research team, people were really mean to me and my mum… We even had to move a few times."

Steeling himself, Minato waited for Yukari to say what she needed to. He understood the need to vent after all. It was like speaking to a Shadow. "But all this time, I kept telling myself it wasn't his fault. I loved him a lot, and I believed he'd never do anything wrong," she said, the smallest of smiles upturning her lips.

"I received a letter back in the spring. It was from him, written ten years ago… It cracked me up 'cause, even though it said 'To my family', it was pretty much all about me," Yukari laughed a little. It was not the sincere kind. "That only made me believe in him more… When I found out I had a special power, I thought it was fate. I was scared, but I thought if I cooperated with the Kirijo Group, I might find out that really happened. That's why I agreed to fight using my Persona. But, it turns out… all of that was for nothing…"

A brief silence passed with Minato's jaw locked up. "And?" he murmured.

Yukari cast her gaze to the sand. "Why does reality have to be so harsh…? I tried so hard to fight my fear, and this is what I get… Maybe I'm just jealous of Mitsuru-senpai. I mean, why my father and not hers…? Haha… I'm a horrible person, aren't I?"

"I don't believe that."

"Hmph. Well, you're just Mr. Perfect. Nothing ever fazes you," she murmured and then turned to face Minato. "And now you've got the nerve to try and tell me how to feel!? You think you know me!? You don't know anything!" Yukari exclaimed, nearly on the verge of tears.

"Yes I do," Minato growled, immediately bringing Yukari to her senses.

She bit her lip. "I'm sorry… My head's a mess… I'm so afraid… I don't know what to do anymore… I'm totally lost… Tell me… What should I do…?" Yukari asked, looking to Minato's grave eyes.

"Uh… C-Can I tell you a story if I um… t-think it would help you?" he asked, breathing in and out.

"W-What?" Yukari asked, blinking in confusion.

"When I was a k-kid, I didn't know what I was …well, doing with my life either," Minato began, leading Yukari to the dots. "I was scared, afraid… and no-one… no-one seemed to be on my side. I d-didn't know what was going on. My parents were… dead. No-one knew the truth and they blamed me for everything that… everything that was going wrong. They called my parents' deaths _my_ fault."

Yukari looked incredulously. "But…"

"They didn't know it was something related to the Kirijo Group or w-whatever," Minato said simply. "I was starting to believe them. They called me things. I… I even tried to kill myself because I couldn't find a way out of it."

"Y-You… You tried to kill yourself?" she swallowed thickly.

"But somehow… I figured out that if I did know the truth and find out where all of this came from… then I-I would be fine. If you believe that your dad is the cause of all this… then m-maybe it is all meaningless. If not… then you keep believing t-that your father would never do anything wrong," he finished with his hands shoved in his pockets. Even though it was hard to believe, Yukari was starting to think of him as a person with his own moments of weakness. He'd let that on before, but now Minato was telling her. And even then…

"Keep believing in him…?" Yukari asked, thinking on Minato's words. Even though there was a possibility he was the cause of the Dark Hour and everything that had occurred thus far, she couldn't bring herself to believe that he would do anything wrong. She was being stupid. He wouldn't want her to think like she was right then. Would he proud of her now? Would he be sad? Either way…

Minato shrugged, gazing at Yukari. "Ya know, you really are one-of-a-kind. I'm sorry for acting like this. You've lost your parents, too. But, I'm alright now… I'm used to dealing with stressful situations. Anyway, thanks for listening. Lemme guess… Senpai asked you to bring me back, right?"

"She did?" he raised an eyebrow.

Yukari blinked in disbelief, but ended up laughing. "So you came on your own…?"

Minato nodded a little and looked to the ground. "I have to be honest though… uh… I just wanted to say that the um… well, senpai's grandfather…" Yukari looked curiously and he finally said, "He's a f-fucked up dude…"

She opened her mouth to say something in response, but ended up just smiling. "Y-Yeah, you're right… and um…" He sighed and gestured for her to go on. "Y-You're… you're not as bad as I thought. Why do you act like that?"

"Honestly…" He mumbled. "I don't really know." Minato was being true when he said that. At times, he felt like what he thought wasn't his own and his emotions were out of control. Ultimately, most of the negative ones were brought to the surface and he ended up being a standoffish douche that no-one wanted to associate with.

This is the cue to say that maybe you shouldn't trust what the narrator is saying…

Yukari gave him a questioning look, but decided to leave it at that. In the end, Minato was still being mysterious, but she could ask some more—

"Hey!" Junpei. When he stopped, he was out of breath. "What's taking you so long…? Everybody's… waiting… It's almost—gasp—the Dark Hour, so you should get back…"

"Huh? Oh yeah, that's right…" Yukari's eyes widened.

"…Hm? Um… Did I miss something…?" he said slowly, casting a suspicious glance to Minato (who was just chilling with his hands in his pockets, eyes closed) and then to Yukari.

"I-I almost forgot… It doesn't matter where you are when the Dark Hour comes…" she stuttered.

"Well, duh." Junpei rolled his eyes.

"You know, I've been thinking lately… Once you awaken to the power of Persona, you remember everything that happens during the Dark Hour…" Yukari looked between Junpei and Minato, the latter having cracked one eye open. "It's like trading away your innocence… In exchange for power, you can no longer look away from the things you don't want to see. So, I guess I'm stuck with you guys, huh?"

"Yup. Now that that's settled, let's get back!" Junpei grinned and ran back in the vacation home's direction.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked Minato, who was scanning the area.

"Yeah. Go," he said. Yukari nodded unsurely and began to walk behind Junpei.

Why did he feel like he was being watched? And it wasn't Pharos' fault either. "I feel kinda stalked," Pharos pointed out.

"That's nice… feel like… the stare's on me though…" Minato muttered, starting behind the two of them.

* * *

**Raider: Hello guys. Sorry it took so long, but I was forcing myself to write a lot of this and I didn't really want to write anything other than angst. That was pretty much at the end though and most of the dialogue was from the game, so yeah… Hope you enjoy it anyways, and yes, Yukari's not as scared anymore.**

**Plz box us yo thoughts and we'll see you guys later.**

**Review Repliesss (I'm thinking of switching to PM replies after the next chapter)**

**Sacchin: Well yes, perhaps. But you never know; things might not go as you think.**  
** Oh yeah. *silently adds Yukari to the non-existent harem* Hehe.**

**Kazikamikaze24: Oh yes, definitely expect things to go down. This is just the calm before the storm my friend.**  
** Until then, just enjoy the Yakushima chapter/s left while they last. **

**Pureshadow013: To be fair, Mitsuru also wasn't fully informed of the situation either until now (even then I'd call that shaky grounds because Ikutsuki but you know). But to say that the characters are pissing you off is kinda what I'm going for. It's easy to sympathise with Minato since I write from his viewpoint a lot, but had he been an outside character writing from the view of someone else, you might think of him differently.**

**Yoshikunitsu: Yeah, it was nice. Well, I don't think Sachiko's parents would do well with that kind of stunt.**

**Boobie Support: Exactly what I'm going for. Haha yeah, just see what happens next chapter.**

**Mr. Haziq: Well, yes, it technically is possible! I wouldn't make it happen only because I have specific fusion combinations in mind, but it is definitely possible. **

**SilverFlameHaze: Haha, it's lowered a little at least.**  
** That's kinda true. Although… you might not want to trust the commentary of his thoughts now. There's a lot going on with his personality, so I suppose you can be on the lookout for that if you're interested. **  
** Oh yes, I actually looked it up but I figured each chapter was too long and I probably don't get as much of the premise as I should when I started reading… but it was incredibly well written. Liked it, even though the angst was too much for me. Haha.**


	25. A Toaster Without Warranty

It wasn't often that people nowadays woke feeling completely refreshed. Minato wasn't about to join the club of people that did manage that feat, but he didn't feel worse for the wear. Well, not in particular at least. It was a rare occurrence in a daily life rife with bad luck and equally bad social skills.

"I'm surprised that you didn't completely go off at Yukari yesterday," Pharos commented before giving Minato a pointed look. "Let alone reveal something like that to her… about yourself."

He quickly threw a shirt, shorts and thongs on. "I guess so." For the first time in a long while, he felt a little freer. Minato felt a little more comfortable in his own skin. Okay, maybe he wasn't raring to go to the beach or anything, but this day didn't feel connected to the previous. Unfortunately, he still wasn't optimistic enough to think that it would last. For him, that was as far as a happy mood could get him.

"You seem a little different. Have you noticed yet?" Pharos asked, hovering around Minato's shoulders. Receiving a nod in affirmation, he then said, "What are you thinking of doing today? I don't suppose you're going to the beach, are you?"

Minato shook his head. He honestly had no idea. He felt rather listless in fact. Learning that his true target was no longer available to him _and_ a bigger fish to fry than he could handle anyways wasn't exactly something he was prepared to hear.

So now what?

"Pharos… do you a-already know… everything… about me?" he asked. Although he was dressed to go out, all Minato did was sit on his bed.

"Yes. I'm always with you after all," he replied with a small smile. Maybe he included the fact that Minato had a strong attraction to masochism. But that certainly wasn't going to be something that he said aloud.

"T-Then… um… you know how I said… my one goal w-was to find out everything about uh… the Dark Hour, my parents and t-the Whispers?" Pharos nodded. "Should I keep looking for the truth?" Minato asked, clenching his fists tightly.

"Well… I do think that there is more to it," Pharos replied. "I don't remember everything that I knew before… and you haven't found out about the Whispers fully either," he said. "I can't make that decision for you though. It's your own fate."

Minato gave Pharos the slightest upturn of his lips. "I know. It… makes me feel a little better though," he murmured. "I g-guess I'm completely in the clear now so… I should keep going." As he spoke, his smile grew.

"Does this mean you're going to the beach now?" Pharos teased. Did he just really want to go to the beach? Because his constant suggesting made it seem like that.

It did sound like a good idea but some of the others were probably going to be there and he wasn't sure he wanted to deal with them, even if he'd sorta repaired the relationship he had with Yukari. It was only a small step and he knew there were some that still didn't like him. "I didn't say that," he picked up and sighed into his pillow.

"So you're just going to nap some more even though you're dressed?" Pharos chuckled. Great idea. Really.

"Maybe," Minato replied. But seriously, he could've been doing something productive. "Maybe not…" Groaning, he up and dragged his feet to the door out (opting to take the pillow), passed by the dining hall to grab something to eat and slowly walked to the beach.

"You're changing your mind a lot."

He nodded in agreement. His thoughts were all over the place. He felt okay before, but now he wasn't so sure… Minato casually walked passed the failing duo trying to hit on the girls on the beach: Junpei and Akihiko. Probably better not to disturb them while they're so busy. Pharos wandered from Minato's side for a moment as he took a seat on the sand near the pier.

When Minato raised an eyebrow Pharos said, "I'm going to see what the others are doing."

That was okay then. Go probe.

…okay, that was only a few seconds, but a sense of loneliness started to fill his sen— "They're not doing well at all and I think the next person they're going for is a transvestite," Pharos said rather happily. Minato tried hard not to crack a smile at that but he eventually gave in.

"Oh. Figures," he said.

He was about to say something about how much of a sad sack Minato was being, but belayed that with another less scathing comment. "I never realised it was possible to take so much pleasure in watching other people's misery…" Pharos said as he observed the scene of Junpei freaking out and Akihiko being crept out by the decidedly not female person they'd just encountered. They'd both realised they'd walked into what was literally a real life trap. Like the ones from those anime.

"They say… humour is birthed from just that," Minato said as he took his thongs off and let the brine wash over his toes. "That's why I like teasing people. It is funny."

"Kinda mean, isn't it?" he pointed out.

"Never stopped cartoons." And that was an all too true statement.

"True enough." Silence fell between the two of them, and Minato certainly wasn't going to be the one to break it. Pharos interrupted the lull as he felt a pair of eyes fixed upon him. Even though he knew no-one could see him other than Minato, the feeling wasn't about to fade any time soon. "I feel like someone's staring at us…" he mumbled, looking around the sand and bushes.

"Hm?" Minato decided to quell Pharos' worries and took a gander at the surroundings for any signs of—Wait, was that a pair of unbelievably blue eyes boring into him from the darkness of the forest? He gulped as faced it, feeling _very_ uncomfortable under that stark gaze.

"What are you staring at?" Akihiko. To be honest, he wasn't sure whether he was in his right mind speaking to Minato… but Junpei certainly wasn't going to fill him in on what had been happening that morning. Not even stopping to drop off a slightly scathing comment for Akihiko, Minato pointed out the eyes that were moving about in the forest. He was that uncomfortable.

"The hell…?" Akihiko was certainly curious. While Minato was more… squirming, he was wondering who the hell that creepy stalker pair of eyes belonged to. They were so bright that they literally looked as if they were lit up. And that wasn't a metaphor for that silly candlelight flickering in your date's eyes as you're waiting for the food to be served. They were glowing. Like for real. Electricity. Lights.

Minato stood slowly and began to walk towards it, ignoring Akihiko and Junpei behind him. Whether or not they were discussing what the hell he was doing or what he was looking at… well, frankly he could care less. And he said that he felt nicer that day. Oh well. That feeling only lasted so long.

The blue lights moved as he came closer, seemingly growing more apprehensive with every step. Soon enough, Minato stood at the edge of the forest with the eyes straight in front of him. Finally, he made out the figure of the person(?).

She had light blonde hair and a pair of red and grey headphones (that's what it looked like to him anyways) on her head. Her skin was porcelain and light, while under her neck was white. Wearing a blue sundress that matched her eyes, he couldn't see what else she was wearing through the bushes and cloth.

…who the hell was she?

Meanwhile, the girl was observing his face. He seemed… confused. After cross referencing his image with those in her database, it seemed an accurate deduction. Confusion: uncertainty about what is happening, intended; uncertainty coming from a given stimuli. Alternatively, it could also refer to the state of being confused: being bewildered or not having clarity of certain stimuli.

She did not understand confusion much better than before, but the girl knew she wasn't confused. There was a 98.43 per cent chance that this blue haired boy was the one she'd been searching for. This human was tucked away in her database of recognisable faces, although she didn't quite comprehend why he was of utmost priority. That thought likely meant it was something she was 'confused' about. "Initiating evasive manoeuver. Confirmation must be made at a secure location."

"What." Minato was just so bewildered, his question simply didn't sound like one. Ignoring his lack of thongs, he chased after her as best he could through the forest. He barely registered Akihiko and Junpei shouting and following him.

Weird-ass girl just running off into the forest while he conveniently forgot his shoes back at the beach… Great. Minato's apathy had certainly taken a turn for the worse as it first became confusion, then just sheer irritation. All of that was mixed in with sick curiosity and despite the fact that this girl was leading him on a chase in a godforsaken forest (even if it was a national heritage site or whatever), Minato wanted to find out who this girl was more than ever.

Pharos had been keeping up with Minato, only stopping when Minato finally did in a small clearing. "Fucking… my feet…" He didn't count how many sticks Minato had stepped on.

The girl was watching him from behind a large tree (he wasn't quite sure whether it was the jyomon cedar tree, but that was another irrelevant thing to chew on later) and only stepped out as he came a little closer. "I…"

"Tired," Minato said flatly. Something he didn't acknowledge? He got tired pretty easily, even in the Dark Hour.

"I was correct. I have found you," she spoke. Despite that calm demeanour—WHY THE HELL WAS SHE HUGGING HIM!? No! Personal space! Personal fucking space!

"Uh… please get off me."

"I have been searching for you. My highest priority is to be with you!" What. Minato didn't say that aloud, but that was all that was running through his mind. This hug was actually kinda… well, it wasn't a pleasant hug. She felt… hard? Not like human skin? Really, her flesh, if it was flesh, felt smooth and hard. This was taking porcelain to a literal level.

"Awww what the hell!? This is bullshit!" Junpei exclaimed. They'd been hitting on girls all morning and Minato of all people got a girl hugging him straight away! That just wasn't right. "How come he has the girl when he hasn't even been at the beach for five minutes!?"

Akihiko was equally as dumbfounded. "I… I don't get it either…" he muttered to himself. "He didn't even really say anything to her!"

"There you guys are! What're you guys doing? We've been looking all over for you!" Yukari. Minato struggled to look over at the two girls that had emerged from the forest clearing with them. If he recalled, Fuuka had left a note saying that they'd gone to see the jyomon cedar tree early in the morning. None of them looked particularly enthralled.

"What are you doing um… in the middle of the woods? In your swimsuits?" Fuuka asked uncertainly, directing the question to Junpei and Akihiko. The two boys exchanged some looks with gritted teeth, eventually landing on Minato who was still being squeezed by the girl in blue. He'd given up on getting out of that hug, even though Yukari and Fuuka were shooting him sharp looks to his back. Mostly Yukari.

"You have no idea what we've—Huh?" Yukari had finally trained her eyes on the girl that was clinging to Minato. "Who is this…?"

"Listen, we've encountered a problem. I'm sorry to interrupt your vacation, but I need you all to go back to the house and prepare for battle." Mitsuru came from behind Yukari and Fuuka, looking stern with folded arms.

"That won't be necessary!" Ikutsuki made his rather unexpected appearance, wearing a smile on his face.

"What do you mean?" Yukari asked, giving sceptical looks to the girl on Minato and the chairman.

He chuckled and approached the girl. "You had me worried. You don't have permission to leave the lab on your own, Aigis."

"Aigis?" Minato blinked, before gazing into her eyes. They didn't look quite like a human's now that he was up close… Aigis was finally pried from him and Fuuka explained that earlier on in the day, Ikutsuki contacted them because he said an Anti-Shadow combat vehicle had gone missing. They were sent to find it.

They reached the vacation home soon after, eagerly waiting for whatever explanation the chairman had for Aigis.

"I apologize for all the trouble. Everything is under control now," Ikutsuki said as he walked into the lounge where everyone was waiting.

"So, what happened to capturing the tank?" Fuuka asked.

"Oh, that's been taken care of. Come here, Aigis." He gestured to Aigis. Her sundress from before was not worn, instead revealing a white body lined with metal at the joints. Minato quickly realised that the reason why she felt so different was because she wasn't a human. Aigis just looked like one. And she… was a robot. "This is Aigis. As you can see, she's a 'mechanical maiden.'"

"I am Aigis. My mission is to destroy Shadows. I have been assigned to SEES, effective immediately," she spoke. The stiffness in her voice seemed more evident upon realising how different she really was.

"No way… it's like she's alive!" Yukari gasped.

"This is unbelievable," Akihiko whispered, sharing the same sentiment with many of the SEES members.

"She's so cute, but… she's a robot…" Junpei groaned. His mind was clearly on another aspect of the situation.

"Anti-Shadow weapons were created ten years ago to combat uncontrollable Shadows. Aigis was the last to be made… and she's the only one that still remains today," Ikutsuki explained, looking upon her rather fondly. Being an important piece of machinery that was not only powerful, but unique in its own right, he was happy that she was intact. Considering her circumstances…

"An Anti-Shadow weapon… Does that mean she…?" Mitsuru trailed off, gazing upon Aigis with intrigue. After all, the only ones that could fight Shadows had to have it.

"Yes. I am capable of operating the Persona 'Palladion,'" Aigis answered.

"She suffered major damage in combat and has remained in the lab ever since. It's still unclear as to why she suddenly reactivated herself this morning… Well, I hope you will all get along," Ikutsuki laughed.

"An Anti-Shadow weapon with a will of her own…This is amazing!" Fuuka exclaimed. She absolutely adored technology and almost sentient robots were things of science fiction; today it showed.

"Um…" Yukari began, looking at Aigis. "By the way… When I saw you earlier, it seemed like you knew him…"

"Yes. It is very important for me to be by his side," she nodded.

"Hmm… Perhaps her identification system is malfunctioning… Or maybe she's still half-asleep... This is quite interesting…" Ikutsuki speculated aloud. "Hmm… Well, I can ponder this later." He gave a smile and turned towards the team members. "Oh, I forgot to tell you all… You can participate in a wide range of recreational activities here. There's a tennis court, a pool table… even a karaoke machine. Would you care to hear me sing?"

"I'd rather not," Minato mumbled as he began his way to his room. Aigis… followed him.

"You know, I'm not really sure I'm comfortable with the robot staring at you all the time…" Pharos whispered, as if he was afraid she would hear him.

"I agree."

* * *

**Raider: Hello guys. Sorry this took so long. Honestly, I wasn't very excited to write this chapter, but I finally finished it just so you guys know that Aigis will be more or less the same as she was in game. I will add a little of my own flavour to her character development, but right now I'm getting hit in the head with a load of apathy syndrome myself. Hope you guys like it.**

**Plz box us yo thoughts and we'll see you guys later.**

**Reviews (I'll reply to everything here, but from now on, I'll reply to reviews with PMs when I can)**

**izmtky: Don't get your hopes up… I like Mitsuru too (I shouldn't be saying this since I like almost every character) but there's not much telling what we'll do.**

**Afterados: Honestly, if I didn't skip to Yakushima, I'd have gotten very bored of all the in game exposition…**  
** I understand and I know what you mean. Looking back on it, I'm still so cbbs to fix that… I would've added a few sentences about Minato's mind drifting off, but…**  
** True enough. Nights actually said that I should lay off some of the characters a little, so… and yeah, it does work for his character development. (No, you're not remembering wrong. He did just that)**  
** Yeah… That's just me being lazy tbh. And glad, because if I didn't use the in-game dialogue, I'd have missed a LOT of details.**  
** Unfortunately, she doesn't deviate much in this chapter (but again, that's because I'm lazy and really cbbs rn).**  
** Thanks.**

**Yoshikunitsu: I see you're catching on with the time travel… don't forget about the Abyss of Time either. Any more and that'd be a spoiler.**  
** Maybe… haha.**

**Mr. Haziq: Yeah, sorry, not sorry… the narration's going to hopefully change, which is just what I'm referencing. Any more and that'd be a spoiler though.**

**SilverFlameHaze: It is a hint to something that'll be more prominent later on.**  
** Well, it's good you mentioned that. His goal still has to be addressed further, so he isn't quite giving up yet. When you have Pharos backing you up too, how can you go wrong, right?**  
** Hahaha, I hope so. The really fun bits are starting to come up soon… which in comparison to this chapter will probably completely overpower whatever apathy I've been feeling for the story so far.**  
** Ah I see**

**Pureshadow013: Hm? She did know… I think it was well connected in the game that she knew about Minato's background. Um… to be clear, his with his Persona abilities it's pretty obvious that they came from the Dark Hour. His Whispers is a different matter though. She was 'guilt tripping' in relation to everyone's Persona abilities; not his Shadow Whispers. Minato doesn't even quite know where they came from either.**  
** Hm well, expect things to still be rocky, even if Yukari is starting.**

**Sacchin: That's Pharos for you. **  
** Well… we'll find out in the next chapter. OTL**


	26. Unnamed Feeling

He was sleeping soundly, each breath exhaled at approximate intervals of 1.263 seconds.

It had been a day since the end of their trip to Yakushima and that morning, Aigis had been watching over Minato's sleeping form. The poster on the wall read 'Do things five minutes early' and that was what she intended to do: rouse him from his dormant state five minutes before the prescribed time of his alarm clock.

The last number blinked from a four to a five, and that was when Aigis called, "Good morning! Please wake up."

His eyes were pried open after a few moments. That wasn't the sound of 'Fear of the dark! Fear of the dark! I have a phobia that someone's always there!' blaring from his alarm clock. What could possibly destroy the rest of that beautiful moment which he almost looked forward to when he was to be roused from sleep?

An android. Sitting next to him on his bed. That was what. And he couldn't think of a witty response.

"Mission accomplished," she intoned.

All that tumbled from his mouth was a simple, simple word: "What."

"The paper on the wall says, 'Do things five minutes early'. Therefore, I woke you up five minutes prior to the triggering of your alarm clock." Aigis seemed not to be bothered by the hard stare forming on his features.

Knock knock.

"Hey, are you awake? That girl disappeared, and we can't find her anywhere. Think you can help us out? She might've gone out on her own, like she did in Yakushima..." She recognised the voice to be one of Yukari Takeba.

"I am not a girl... I am Aigis, and I am here," she replied flatly.

"Huh?" Yukari said, especially when it was the android opening the door. "Aigis!? How did you-"

"He was asleep, so I unlocked the door," Aigis explained with no sign of apology on her lips. Minato's train of thought was similar to 'WHAAAAAAAT!?' and kept staring at the robot with the widest eyes he could muster in his sleepy state. And the alarm went off. Great. Next thing he knew; Aigis saw the doujins he stashed in his _locked _drawers too.

"That's unlawful entry! Didn't we tell you to stay in the command room at night!?" Yukari all but spluttered.

"I propose to be on standby in this room from now on. Is this acceptable?" she asked with a tilt of her head. Had Minato been more focused on Aigis rather than the music playing from his alarm, he might've thought that it was a bit cute... but he was still partially pissed off from missing those five tiny droplets of sleep and tried to focus more on the song shredding out its epic riff instead.

"What!? N-No, it's not acceptable!"

"If there is a problem, then I will address it promptly."

"Uh, the problem is it's against dorm regulations..." Yukari struggled to explain before turning to Minato who was currently walking over to his clock. "Well, don't just stand there! Tell her!" she exclaimed. How could a robot be so difficult to deal with!?

"True," he said tersely. "And I need to change."

Yukari brushed off his quip and said, "See? He agrees."

"I will do as told," Aigis voiced after a few moments.

"Tch... Alright, I'll have a room prepared for you on the third floor. You can stay there," she sighed. "Oh, and don't leave the dorm by yourself, okay?" Yukari added.

"I will do as commanded." Aigis gave a slow nod at her words.

The other gave a sigh. "I'm tired... I have practice this morning, so I gotta go..." she mumbled before striding from the door frame.

"...Everyone goes to a place called school in the morning. I comprehend." Aigis nodded to herself this time after reaffirming 'school' in her personal records.

Minato sighed himself. Now how should he get the creepy robot from his room?

After stressing to Aigis that a little something called 'privacy' was of great importance, Minato got ready for school. Weren't exam results supposed to be posted that day?

...Oh shit.

Radiating a glum air which Aigis commented seemed 'to exude from him and give the atmosphere a five to ten per cent increase in weight without scientific explanation', Minato made his way to the boards later that day with every bit of him prepared to cringe from his rank.

Even though he was partly expecting it, the number pulled on his sanity just a teeny, tiny bit... A voice lingering at the back of his head seemed to roar with laughter while another of the same, raspy voice spoke of how easy it would be to rip that fucking piece of shit paper off the wall and- "I'm guessing you didn't study, huh?"

"Uh... yeah," Minato murmured as the haze of students dispersed. Even Junpei's sobs faded in the background.

Sachiko nodded knowingly and asked, "Do you mind going out after school? We haven't spoken in a while."

It would take this failure off his mind; that was for sure. Well, at least his science related grades didn't suffer that much... "Sure. Where?"

"Hm... Why not the beef bowl place?"

"Alright. I'll meet you there."

A silence passed between the two friends as they both came to the same, rather shameful conclusion. "An urge to change where we were going to eat just washed over me, but I'm going to ignore that for now. I'll see you there," Sachiko said.

Minato headed straight there after school. Even she might be excited to know that they now (somehow) had a robot with a Persona that could fight the Shadows alongside them too and that made him smile a tiny bit more. There was the second thought of slight breakdown in front of Yukari being more exciting, but he brushed it off. The walking toaster was more engaging of a topic and a more pleasant one too.

While the mentions of Ikutsuki's terrible singing and their rather enthusiastic water fights came to mind (along with trying to figure out whether that robot was waterproof) on the karaoke machine came to mind, Minato eventually came to the more important matters that were addressed during their meeting. They still weighed heavily on his mind, even if he told everything in as casual a manner as possible. After finishing their meals, they headed back towards the shrine on the way to the dorm.

"So you're saying that apparently the Shadows that you're encountering... on the full moon... they have to be defeated before the Dark Hour can truly come to an end," Sachiko asked, processing what Minato had told her so far. "Moreover, the Dark Hour was caused by the previous head of the Kirijo Group whom you can't remember the name of and will not bother to try remembering due to a lack of importance. He was responsible for causing the Dark Hour through his experiments on Shadows... and the explosion ten years ago came about because of the Shadows used in the experiments breaking out. Ultimately, this caused the Dark Hour."

Minato nodded in response. Actually, he just remembered; Mitsuru's grandfather was called Kouetsu Kirijo. He wasn't sure whether to be happy that he remembered, or frustrated that he forgot.

"I see... what was that you said about manipulating time and space though?" she raised an eyebrow. "That seems awfully far-fetched, even for Shadow standards. Or perhaps I'm just being a little sheltered..."

"I don't know," he said simply. "It is worrying though." Why was there a part of him saying that it wasn't? Minato supposed that it probably was just this part of him that was intrigued by the sick excitement that only morbidity could bring.

"Worrying? Ah yes, you said that apparently the effects could be seen due to the large concentration of Shadows in one area," Sachiko recalled. "You're worried about your compendium, aren't you?" With a sigh, he nodded. That was exactly it. His compendium suddenly seemed a little more frightening, a little more mysterious, and a little more dangerous. "Understandably so..."

A silence fell between them for a few moments. "I'll do some digging around for you, if you'd like. I actually have some things to go over with a case..."

"Case?" Minato asked. It was probably the one from before about the victims turning up dead in weird positions and shit. Oddly enough, the fact that these were real people turning up dead with lives, work, friends and family wasn't making him angrier or sad. That actually sounded kinda satisfying, but he didn't know why. He just had to push back the feelings at this point. Probably just his mind going haywire or something.

Sachiko tightened the glove on her hand. "Yes. More and more people have been turning up dead around the streets. Some of them are in that strange, yet mangled state... others have been shot and wounded with incendiaries," she explained. "I tried to look for and examine the markings on the bullets, but that's no use until we actually have a suspect weapon to sample."

"That's too bad..." he muttered. "Things've just been happening... l-left... and right," Minato sighed as he gave Sachiko a worried glance. At this point, being scared of where his train of thought was going was being overridden by his concern for his friend. It worked like a muffler to that clacking transport in the background.

"You're right... I'm starting to wonder whether this is simply something bigger than us..." Lost in thought, she didn't see Minato's look until the cogs in her mind started to slow. "I think it would be prudent to exercise great caution, if you haven't already been doing that. Things are... dangerous now."

"You better as well," he replied.

"Who do you take me for?" A smirk crawled onto her face as she rolled her shoulders. It contorted into one of pain as Sachiko relaxed a little.

"What's wrong?" What part of him questioned his sincerity and concern? There was no sign of knowledge when it came to his train of thought.

She had half a mind to give Minato one of those sceptical looks of hers with a lifted eyebrow and all, but... "Bad posture, mostly." It gave him the image of being hunched over numerous papers and notes as she rifled through details of each victim in a darkened room with some dim lightning overhead from a hanging lamp, akin to those scenes in hard-boiled detective comics. While entertaining, it wasn't exactly a good thing either.

"Great caution, huh..." Minato rolled his eyes as he stood and placed his hands on Sachiko's shoulders with a firm grip.

"Why're you...?" she trailed off as the knots in her muscles slowly became undone from the circular motions of his thumbs. Truthfully, Sachiko could discern just what he was doing. The reason why was a little lost to her, however obvious it was in the right mindset. Maybe it was the unfamiliarity of the situation settling in that made her oblivious to the answer.

Actually, Sachiko was busy being thankful that they were the only ones at the shrine. Koromaru was napping near the offertory box at the temple, so he wasn't watching either. It was just a quiet and warm summer's day with no-one around but the cicadas buzzing in crevices bored into the trees and a sleepy sunset with droopy eyes. "Better?"

"Uh... I guess so," Sachiko answered awkwardly. "Thanks?"

"Hm." Minato wasn't really bothered to say 'you're welcome', but that was what he would've said if he was. On the other hand, he could've just not responded or maybe he could tell her to fuck off- What the hell was he thinking? Shit.

"What's up?" she asked. "Are you bothered or something?" At this point, Sachiko was at a loss as to how and why Minato was so terse at that moment. More so than usual, at least. It a little bit out of the blue, she supposed.

"I dunno." He gave a shrug in response, silently wondering why he felt like he didn't want to explain when that was what he wanted to do most. Forcing the words out, Minato muttered, "I feel kinda weird today..."

"Why's that?"

He set his arms in a folded position and closed his eyes. "Well, hell if I know..." Minato muttered. "There's something... I don't know what. And it makes me want to just..." He'd recalled that he'd felt like this before. It was like being stuck in a fog, where it would clear occasionally but always, always come back. But this however... whatever he was feeling; it wasn't being depressed.

It was having a monster locked up within you, clawing and scratching at the pillars of your skin to no end. You keep it inside as best you can because you're not supposed to be angry. You're supposed to be calm on the street. You wonder, 'why the hell am I not!?' but cannot find an answer. You think it might make you even madder... it drives you that little bit insane. It builds. You want to lash out at anything and everything, even though you know you can't. You don't really want to.

Or do you?

Minato couldn't exactly tell what this feeling was, or even when, how or why it was there.

"You're not alright... shouldn't you see someone?" Sachiko asked with every bit of genuine concern in her eyes and voice. Even if it was related to the Whispers, the mental state itself was a problem that could probably be fixed by a professional or something of the sort.

Yet everything in him protested with burning ice. His mind, he couldn't figure it out... there were thoughts running at the back of his head. They almost overpowered him, but most of the time, he was stronger. At what cost? Sometimes, he didn't know what price his mind truly had. Was resisting that tiny voice at the back of his head worth appearing sane in front of others? Minato didn't have an answer and that fact alone was enough to drive him mad.

"Minato, snap out of it!"

What?

Swamped by the debris of the train wreck in his mind, he'd been staring at the same spot with glazed eyes without a word, or even a small response. "U-Uh... sorry," he mumbled.

"Minato, you need to need to go see a doctor. I don't really care at this point what it's caused by... because it looks like you need help," Sachiko murmured.

No, he didn't. "I-I... I guess," Minato said half-heartedly.

"Don't 'I guess' me here." She sighed and got out her phone from her pocket.

"Wait!" he said, clenching his teeth. "I'll do it myself later." At this point, he couldn't trust himself to go, but if it got Sachiko off his back for a while, then Minato could say anything. If he was listening to himself in hindsight, he probably never would've stopped her.

Sachiko narrowed her gaze at Minato. Another sigh. "You better... I'm worried."

"I know," he mumbled.

To be honest, she wasn't fully convinced, but the next time she met up with him, Sachiko would ask again. "You can't take it lightly, alright? But I'm sure you already know that," she warned. "Anyways, I have to go. I'll see you later."

"Uh yeah. Later," Minato replied.

Sachiko strode from the seat and went down the shrine stairs as he said farewell, still sighing inwardly with every step. None of it sat well with her and Sachiko really wished she could do something about it, but she had to trust her friend.

With slow steps to her home, she observed the streets with every bit of scrutiny she could muster. Who knew if there were suspicious characters in the background? Quickly quashing her thoughts of catching the perpetrators of the Shadow attacks with an injection of rationality, Sachiko quickly reminded herself that she hadn't much to go on.

Except... for a dark whisper that lingered at the back of her mind. "What's the time?" it asked, in a hush.

"It's 6 hours," another murmured.

Sachiko counted the hours from twelve on her watch. The hands read '6:04", and it was after school. Whether it was evening or morning was obvious. The gesture of her hands to her hair and pulling a hat over the loose ponytail was automatic as she led her eyes up a trail of words and with relaxed posture, walked nearer.

"How many days?"

"...you expect me to remember?"

A rather out of place comment, but Sachiko took it in stride. She mentally noted that they weren't exactly a tight-knit group, or that they weren't really professionals. With their presumed abilities, it could make sense.

"Guys-"

"13 days," a woman's voice cut in before the conversation could rise. "We have a little less than two weeks."

Sachiko struggled to figure out just what the significance of the number of days could have. Minato had told her that they appeared on full moons, so that might've been what they referred to. She didn't check whether the moon was waning or if it was a waxing gibbous, so at this point, couldn't make the connection.

"Thank you." He said those two words dripping with sarcasm before continuing, "Where are we meeting next?"

"Today, it's the back and tomorrow... we're meeting with those other three at the front," another male replied, deeper in tone.

The 'other three' that he referred to didn't seem to be particularly close to this group she was dealing with. She could concern herself with deciphering what the 'back' and 'front' meant later. Losing track of her train of thought wouldn't do well.

"Don't forget," the deep voice intoned.

The shuffle of footsteps came. It would be best to move. Sachiko let down her hair and walked with a slow gait once more, shifting her muscles into gear so that they'd move naturally, even as the steps came closer. She kept her gaze forward for the most part and let the presence slide by her.

As the steps faded, she stole a glance to her back and caught a short-haired woman's back before Sachiko decided to return her field of vision ahead.

Knowing too little to act, Sachiko simply headed home to compile her notes. She'd better speak again to Minato whenever possible.

* * *

**AN: Hello guys, it's been a while, since I wanted to put more things in the chapter. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter. Later.**


	27. Hypocritical, With a Side of Epic

Footsteps echoed on the path as a male, bony and cold walked into the dim light of the moon.

Shinjiro had been leaning against railing, musing that he hadn't really seen Aki and the others for a couple of days. Granted, he shouldn't have cared, but it was hard not to notice when that idiot wasn't causing trouble. "Hey," he said simply as four more came.

"Why do they always run and hide when I approach? They're like back alley rats," he sighed as he observed the three punks walking from them with looks of disdain.

"Beats me," Shinjiro replied with a shrug. "Who're your friends?"

The pale man chuckled mirthfully. "They're nothing to be concerned about," he replied with a thin smile.

He looked them up and down as best he could before clicking his tongue. "Whatever."

"Jin... Give him the capsules," he said.

Jin did as he asked and handed a tin to Shinjiro, small enough to fit in his palm comfortably. He closed his grip around the clinking container and said, "Thanks." Shinjiro moved to walk from the group and continued even as he faced away from them, "I'll pay you the same as—"

"Hold up," Jin spoke.

"This time, information will suffice," the pale man explained. "Your acquaintances have been busy lately. I'm referring to their activities on nights when the moon is full. They've spent a great deal of time in the tower as well. Why did they take this burden upon themselves?" Shinjiro gave them narrowed eyes as he tried to find his response. "You do know, don't you? ...But, you don't wish to say? Is it because they are your friends?"

"No! I've got nothing to do with them," he protested.

"Then tell us."

"Tch... I don't know the details, but... Supposedly, if you destroy all those creatures... then the tower will disappear, and with it, the Dark Hour," Shinjiro said through gritted teeth.

"You mean... they intend to eliminate the Dark Hour?" The otherwise impassive expression the man had seemed to twist at the corner of his lips.

"Y-Yeah? Why?"

"Why would they do such a thing!? With the power they have... They wish to destroy the Tower of Demise as well!?"

"Tower of Demise...? ...Who wouldn't wanna take out that damn tower?"

"Easy, Takaya..." Jin warned.

Takaya breathed out and took a moment to compose himself. "Yes, yes..." The two left, passing the other four.

"Hey. Tell us if you see an irritated looking kid with blue hair," Kishimaru said as Shinjiro was about to move.

"I'll think about it," he answered with a shake of his head.

...

A lurch.

From the corner of Aigis' optics, she spied a Shadow inching away from them. Yukari-san and Akihiko-san stood behind Minato as he observed the creature's movements, waiting for the optimal time to strike. Wordlessly, Minato stepped towards its back and kicked the pack of four into the nearest wall with a thud.

He'd made hand signals some time ago to make up for his stammering and with an open hand and spread fingers, Yukari and Akihiko surrounded the downed Shadow while Aigis followed suit, unfamiliar with his conduct. Unfortunately there weren't enough unique signals for every individual skill that he could think of, but for him, it worked. From then on, he'd hope that the rest of the team had some common sense stashed on them somewhere.

He recognised the four Shadows that had split in front of them; they were Devoted Cupids. Not that he remembered what their weakness was. "Fuuka. Scan."

"I'll do my best!" Her voice came, watery in their ears.

Minato rushed forward upon her response and sidestepped a volley of arrows before taking a two handed swing of his compendium into the Shadow's arm. It blocked, but Minato had enough sense to thrust his knee into its leg, making it hobble in air unguarded.

"My turn." Akihiko wound his fist back and smashed knuckle into ribs, all the while enduring a vortex of Holy Arrows spiralling into him. He gritted his teeth and stumbled from his foes, trying to regain his footing.

"Yukari-chan! Wind won't work on them! Bufu skills should work," Fuuka informed just as she was about to point her Evoker. That wouldn't have turned out to be productive if she'd finished that! She nodded to herself and nocked an arrow, letting fly the head into flesh.

The Devoted Cupid she'd aimed for screeched and stopped firing spells at Akihiko, glaring at Yukari as it reeled. "Thanks Yukari," Akihiko grinned as he summoned Polydeuces and gave back some much needed feeling to his numb left arm with a Dia spell.

"No problem," she replied tersely, dodging her own assault.

"I request that everyone backs away," Aigis intoned, leading the two boys to give pointed looks at the robot. The moment of weakness allowed two Devoted Cupids to send more Holy Arrows sailing at the two of them. Not reacting to the assault, Minato blocked the glowing assailant with his arm while Akihiko shielded with a cross block.

With a motion from his free hand, Minato told Akihiko to make distance between them. As they backed off, Aigis modulated "Initiating summon sequence" and brought her Persona—Palladion—mechanised and poised with cannon open wide to life. It let loose a Swift Strike upon the Devoted Cupids, sending blow after blow from its weapon.

"The fuck Akihiko!?" Minato growled and pushed his senior's three quarter smash from Aigis to the side. Although with all the Holy Arrows he'd been getting with...

"Akihiko-senpai is charmed! Use Charmdi or a Dis-Charm!" Fuuka cried, nervous as a similar situation had occurred just a few weeks ago. "Yukari-chan, you know that skill, don't you?" she asked, biting her lip.

"I'm on it!" she nodded, holding her Evoker against her forehead. "Wait! What's that sound!?"

Minato gritted his teeth and momentarily looked to see the incoming Shadows coming in their direction. Perhaps a poor choice as Akihiko struggled out of Minato's grip and dug his fist into his stomach, causing hacked out spit to come flying from his mouth.

"Minato-san!" Aigis stopped unleashing her skill and turned her gaze towards the two struggling boys.

"Aigis-san, don't hurt either of them!" Fuuka warned, trying to get a grip on the new Shadows. "I'll scan the other ones..."

Minato skidded and cascaded on the ground, musing to himself that this was probably one of the worse situations he'd had to deal with thus far in his short life. "Minato-kun, are you alright?" Yukari reached out a hand which he grabbed eagerly as Akihiko approached the two of them.

"Kinda," he rasped, finding his footing.

"They're tough enemies! They're weak to Zio, but resist physical skills!" Fuuka warned, her voice rising when one of the two cast a Rakukaja spell.

It was just their luck that the person who used Zio was charmed, huh? Minato chuckled bitterly and told Yukari, "Concentrate on Akihiko-senpai."

"I'll try my best," she murmured and summoned Io, ready to cast Charmdi on him.

Akihiko lumbered with clenched fists and tried a one-two towards her, grinning with hazy eyes. Through the next few moments, it felt as if everything was out to get her. Clanking with malice, a Wild Drive seemed to know their plan and smirked as Yukari backed away from both of them. Not to mention the arrows that were being sent flying towards her.

There was no way that she'd be able to deal with all of them without getting hurt while she cast Charmdi on Akihiko.

"Minato! Aigis!" Yukari shouted, nearly tripping as she retreated.

Minato beckoned Aigis from a dissipating Cupid and formed a shield from the Wild Drives and arrows. "Aigis, t-take care of the Cupids. I'll deal with... these guys..." As he spoke, his fingers flicked through the pages of his compendium, looking for the nearest Mazio using Shadow.

"Understood."

Yukari nearly wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but knew that if she wasn't focused, Akihiko would nail her with a hard punch if she wasn't careful. "Io!" she called, the Persona coming forth in a flurry of blue.

Akihiko wouldn't let up and was trying for a haymaker and Yukari did her best to dodge, but the hit kept going and crashed into Minato instead. "Whoa!" Thankfully, his fist only grazed past his cheek and jaw without getting a clean hit. Minato staggered away with a torn page and crumbled ashy flecks into the Wild Drives. Bursts of electricity rained down on them, shocking them paralysed onto the floor with their weakness hit. Whispering a recall, the Mazio-wielding blur reformed in his tome.

Aigis gunned down the second last Devoted Cupid, setting her sights on the final. 'Kill Rush." With a gleam in her eyes, Palladion appeared without hesitation, made its charge, pinning the Shadow against the wall.

"Be careful!" Minato growled and pointed his Evoker at his temple and summoned a Persona with raging skin wielding a golden sword. "Take-Mikazuchi," he muttered. Flashes of Mazionga burst onto the already downed Wild Drives, making one slump back onto the floor, dizzied. The other managed its way to full height, spinning its legs and spike-like arms into Minato.

Yukari bit her lip as she felt tremors from behind her, travelling from the Shadow pounding its metal feet. "Sorry senpai..." she muttered to herself and put some distance between her hypnotised senior using a Garu spell before again bringing out Io to heal Akihiko. "Charmdi!" A pink haze ceased his movements and as it dissipated, he shook his head of the Charm. "Minato-kun! Akihiko's back to normal!"

As the form of the Devoted Cupid dissolved into black and red mist, Aigis turned to target the dizzied Wild Drive. With continuous gunfire accompanied by the clinking of empty shells hitting floor she kept the struggling Shadow down.

Minato wasn't exactly able to answer as he was batted into the wall, groaning as impact shook his bones. "Polydeuces!" Akihiko's voice came. Another bolt of lightning struck at its back, engulfing its body with blue-white arches of electricity. Grinding gears came from the Wild Drive-presumably a cry of pain to the others and a 'fuck all of you!' to Minato-and it staggered away from him before tumbling with a thump into ichor.

Even though the latter Wild Drive Aigis was dealing with was resistant to pierce attacks, even it wouldn't survive them in multitudes. "Enemy annihilated."

The leftover members were left to catch their breaths as Aigis approached them. Minato struggled to stand, using the wall behind him as support. Yukari sighed and healed the leader, lending some energy to his bruised back.

"That was a close one..." Fuuka breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you're all okay!"

Minato shook his head as he grabbed at a Persona during Shuffle Time and wordlessly pocketed the Wild Drives' remains (the Greasy Gears that he needed for Elizabeth's requests) as they calmed down. He didn't expect it would last.

"Minato-san. I would like to tell you about an option available to me called Orgia Mode. It should help you in battle. Would you like to hear?" Aigis asked, looking at him blankly.

"What?" he said sharply, although his tone seemed to be lost on her.

"In Orgia Mode, my limiters are temporarily disabled to allow my damage output and mobility to increase. However, it only lasts for a short period of time, after which I become defenceless," she explained.

"And... you didn't t-tell me earlier because...?"

"Up until now, there was no need. If we are to keep experiencing more complications such as this in later battles, it would be prudent to have an alternative course of action in a troublesome situation."

"She has a point!" Pharos commented, speaking for the first time that Dark Hour.

Aigis was basically saying that they hadn't sucked up until now, so then she had to tell him how not to. "Oh."

Then Fuuka gasped, "Be careful! I sense Death!"

As if things couldn't get worse... "Access point?"

"Take a right at the T up ahead," she instructed. "Hurry! It's coming from behind you!" It certainly explained why those clinking chains sounded so close.

Minato told the team to follow her direction, taking solace in the fact that this meant there were no more Shadows on the floor that would impede their progress. That was the last thing they needed when they were already dodging bullets flaring at their feet.

Turning towards the Reaper trailing black behind them, Aigis fired upon it and flew back using the recoil and a well-timed jump as she leapt after the team, slowing it down a little. "Where do we go next?"

"Go straight and take the first left," she replied, assured as they'd be able to outpace the Reaper at this rate and get there in a short time span. "The access point is at the end of the hallway."

"Alright," Minato nodded, ready to make a sprint.

"It disappeared! Hold on, I'll try to find it!" Fuuka warned.

"It disappeared!?" Yukari exclaimed.

"You have to get away from there! The Reaper is blocking the entrance to the access point and it doesn't seem to be moving!"

Never mind. Things did just get worse. They could find their way to the stairs, but at this point, Minato was even willing to bet that the Reaper was going to be an awful person and teleport over to the entrance of the stair room. "Do you think you can find a way around this?" Pharos asked, smiling enigmatically.

"We'll see," he muttered to himself. "How long does Orgia Mode last?" Minato said aloud.

"Approximately thirty seconds," she replied. "Time may lengthen or shorten, depending on actions taken during this time period."

"Wait, you're not seriously thinking of fighting that thing, are you?" Yukari asked, biting her lip. "There's no way that we can win against it!"

"I... I didn't say we're going to win," he replied.

"Then what?" Akihiko asked.

"We just need to get past it."

"Are you crazy!?" Yukari yelled, still shivering at the thought of facing the Reaper. She knew they were just going to be dancing around like their feet were being shot at because their feet _were_ getting shot at. It wasn't something she wanted to deal with.

"Maybe. This t-time though... I'm being practical," he sighed. "You and Akihiko should p-pass the Reaper while Aigis and I d-distract it. That's all.

"Get Orgia thing ready and don't shoot my Shadows," Minato told Aigis. She'd attempted to shoot down Minato's Shadows earlier on and it did take some coaxing for her not to do so.

"Understood."

Minato breathed out and summoned his next partner, muttering "Garudyne" as Kishimaru appeared. His familiar unleased a hurricane of force at the Reaper. Despite his opponent never appearing deterred, Minato commanded, "Akihiko! Yukari! Get going!" and kept the Reaper distracted as they began to slip past.

"R-Right!" Yukari gulped and moved through the corridor, stepping cautiously as the wind behind her forced her legs to move with ease. The Reaper gave a mirthful chuckle which only Minato could hear as he took the full brunt of the wind torrent.

Propelled by the spell, Aigis smashed forward with joints and headphones whirring and spinning like a battering ram. It responded in kind and moved away from the white blur along with the Garudyne which was slowly dying down. She wouldn't take that and zipped to the Reaper's arm, tore it into grasp, hauled its weight into her limbs and reared back before slamming it shoulder-first into the nearest wall. Hailing bullets came from Aigis' guns as she flipped back from the force, bruising and even piercing the Reaper's flesh. She wouldn't even stop there.

Yukari sneaked past the downed Reaper with Akihiko, silently promising to herself that she wouldn't get on Aigis' bad side, if she had one. Stepping onto the green pad, she was whisked to the bottom floor. "Get back soon!" she called.

A huge roar came from the Reaper as it tried to brush Aigis away, but she moved too fast to be able to. She manoeuvred from its thrashing arms while the Reaper took an opportunity to fire bullets of its own. Just as they went flying, Aigis wrenched its arms from the recoil and swung the Reaper into the floor, about to fire again— "An unexpected development." She froze as her joints had taken too much and overheated, leaving her unable to move with smoke filtering from her.

The wayward bullets stuck fast into wall and flesh, leaving Akihiko's side marked with a searing wound. He swallowed the pain and made his way to the access point, with only this thought in mind: if he didn't get it healed, it was seriously going to mess up his training.

"Aigis!" Minato charged after her helpless frame, stopping short as the Reaper batted her aside into a wall behind the access point. She slumped, eyes closed and body prone as the Reaper laughed and pointed the barrel of its gun at her.

Faintly a chuckle echoed. It lingered, lurking at the back of his mind. His compendium shook.

Biting his lip as Kishimaru roared with his steed, Minato flung his compendium open and hissed, "Stop your goddamned laughing!" A flood filled his veins with adrenaline, if enough wasn't already driving through him. The Reaper turned its attention to Minato and shot its readied bullet straight for his chest.

Sho did not appear on command, but on instinct, and burst from black with flared engines and thunder bellowed from his mouth. Red began to pump from Kishimaru and Sho as they convulsed, twisted, merged. Minato dodged the attack as best he could, still getting clipped by the blazing shot on his shoulder. Although his sight began to grow dim, he could still hear the voice pounding at the cage of his skull. He could copy the whisper's growling. He could let it control him. He could kill it.

Bestial, he combined Sho and Kishimaru roared and grumbled, its wheel burning with orange flame while its lance swirled with wind. The Reaper seemed to laugh once more as it faced its new adversary which thrashed with unrest. Bullets came barrelling from its revolvers, as did the wheeled knight, the haze around it becoming charged with heat crushed from the air. Heat became cinders, cinders became flames, and flames became amber infernos raging with combined turbulence.

Stubborn, it pushed through the bullets even as they exploded into Megido spells on contact before thrusting its lance into the Reaper's chest, scorching a burn into the wound. The Reaper hissed and—

Minato picked up Aigis as best he could and hopped into the access point, telling Kishimaru and Sho to come back into his compendium. As they disappeared in a flash, the Reaper left behind gave a smirk as the hole in his chest slowly, but surely sealed. What an interesting bout, and what an intriguing ability that boy had.

As Minato stepped out, he saw Yukari and Mitsuru nursing Akihiko's wound with some hissing, Diarama spells, gauze and bandages. "Arisato. That was quite a reckless course of action that you took," Mitsuru said as she finished wrapping his wound. Minato was about to protest but, "No-one was seriously injured, except for Akihiko."

He gave a smile and rubbed the back of his head, looking apologetically at Minato. He shrugged in response and after getting their supplies, exited Tartarus. As much as he didn't care about Mitsuru's comment, he was still angry.

Minato narrowed his eyes as he remembered the last full moon's incident. Of course Akihiko got a free pass when he was charmed. Of course. It wasn't the senior he was mad at in particular, however.

* * *

**AN: Hello. My favourite fight scene that I've ever written appears. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter. Later.**


	28. Justice for the Egoist

Nobody likes closed doors.

He stared at this metal example before swinging his gaze towards the murky tunnel ahead. Inviting. "We will be alright. Rather than wasting our energy, I suggest we deal with the Shadow first," Aigis intoned. Well, someone was undisturbed by that recent turn of events.

Unfortunately for Minato, he wasn't Aigis.

After coming back from their most recent expedition to Tartarus, most of the team members went to their rooms to get much needed rest. "What is it, Arisato?" Mitsuru was quite sure that Minato wouldn't speak to her without good reason.

"Akihiko."

"What about him?"

"Why him and not me?" Minato narrowed his eyes, while she only bit her lip in response. "Why was he let off, and not me?" he clarified.

If there was a sugar-coated answer she could give him, it had slipped from grasp. He drew his own conclusions meanwhile. "It's because you trust him more than me." Even though Minato's words were small and he kept interrupting himself, the impact wasn't softened. He scoffed. "I get it."

"No, that isn't it," she protested.

He cocked his head.

"The consequences and the situation... They were both different," Mitsuru justified.

Minato wasn't sure what to make of her response, however true it was.

"More people were hurt and Akihiko only hurt me," he pointed out. "That day was a full moon. Today wasn't."

"Yes."

"So?"

"Taking into account the damage done to all the team members, merely slapping your wrist wouldn't make suitable recompense."

Minato silently muttered about how utilitarian that thinking was. "Even though it was the same thing? Getting Charmed?"

Mitsuru didn't have the heart to nod with irrationality and impulses given the reins. Perhaps they'd spread their influence even more because of the revelations at Yakushima, but whatever the trigger was, Minato was and is still a victim of others' paranoia.

He understood. Understanding didn't necessarily smother rage. "I see. Good night."

She closed her eyes as she was left behind. Perhaps Mitsuru didn't realise it herself.

God, he wanted to lash out. If he did, it would only aggravate fraying bonds of trust. Minato didn't want to care, but there was no stopping his conscience—not even some creepy voice closed at the back of his mind that might've wanted to rip everyone's heads off.

Tonight, the group known as Strega had chosen to interrupt their briefing in the underground bunker they'd been led to. Questions raced through the team's minds, even as the thin man spoke. "My name is Takaya. This is Jin. We are known to some as Strega..." A glint appeared in his gold eyes. "We've been keeping an eye on you...

"From what we hear, you've undertaken a 'righteous' battle to save the world. But, we've come here tonight to put an end to that dream. You've gained new allies, yet this land still crawls with sin. Tartarus is towering as beautifully as always..."

Minato wasn't quite sure who to focus on at this point, as he caught the four presences behind the two. Kishimaru.

"But, why the hell would you wanna stop us!?" Junpei exclaimed.

"Simple... If the Shadows and the Dark Hour disappear, then so will our power. And we can't let that happen, now can we?" Jin smirked. He knew that his words would only provoke them further.

Somehow, it reminded Minato of how found out Koromaru—the dog at the shrine—was actually a Persona user just like them. That seemingly peaceful Dark Hour was stopped when Fuuka notified them of the Shadow prowling the city. Akihiko was sent to investigate as the others prepared.

His voice came through the transceiver with, "I'm here. Sorry, but I think you guys better come, right away."

"What's wrong? Is it a powerful one?" Mitsuru asked.

"No, the Shadow's been defeated. In fact, it was already defeated when I got here." Akihiko chuckled lightly at that.

"What happened?"

"The little fella's been injured... I wanna save him if we can."

"'Little fella?' Who's he talking about?" Yukari wondered.

As Mitsuru already mentioned Naganaki Shrine just before, Minato's mind leaped to the conclusion that it had something to do with Koromaru. What other 'little fella' would you find at Naganaki Shrine anyways? No, he didn't mean Pharos when he was pretending to be a ghost.

There wasn't much conversation after that and the group headed there to assist Akihiko with Koromaru's bloody scene. Blood flowed from him like rivers, whimpering as the liquid fled.

"Koro-chan! Are you okay, Koro-chan!?" Fuuka exclaimed as she rushed over.

"You know this dog?" Mitsuru asked.

"Yeah, everyone around here does... We have to help him!" Yukari agreed.

Over the bleeding, they discussed how he was able to deal with the Shadow. Of course, it was because the shiba-inu was a Persona user, as incredulous as it sounded.

"This is a place of peace, so I protected it," Aigis intoned.

Flowers leaned next to the gate of the shrine. "Those flowers... they must be for the priest who died in that accident," Fuuka whispered.

"So, he really was guarding this place..."

"Uh, Aigis? Don't tell me you can translate dog language too..." Junpei blinked.

"Canines do not have their own language. However, speech is not the only means of communication."

Final words were dedicated to finding a veterinarian to care for Koromaru. Minato bent down next to him and stroked his fur, softening his stony expression. He hadn't spoken, but Koromaru seemed to understand his worry and whined. It was the same feeling as when Ken started staying at the dorm, but he didn't know which to feel for more.

He gritted his teeth.

"What about you?"

The words seemed directed at him. Minato wouldn't be honest if he said he knew what they were talking about. He raised an eyebrow in response.

"Don't tell me you're really letting these guys push you around for a goal you might not even want." Jin sneered.

How did that guy know? Minato narrowed his eyes as SEES turned towards him. "I wouldn't say that it's your business," he intoned.

"You're so different..." was muttered in whispers, perhaps from one of the four behind Takaya and Jin. A twinge of a frown threatened his façade, but Minato stayed his words.

"I get it... You've each got your own reason for fighting. 'Justice' is only an excuse... And that makes you all hypocrites! So I say, to hell with you!" Jin's words pierced through their thoughts. As they turned to leave, Akihiko lunged after them to no avail. The doors had slammed shut and only his banging against them was left. "Have fun in there."

And now, for the present.

"You're right. If we lose our cool, then they win." Yukari gritted her teeth.

"The Shadow's moving! I think it's noticed us!"

"Alright, let's concentrate on our original goal. We can look for a way out after we've won. Everyone, prepare for battle," Mitsuru said after a few moments.

"What is the matter?" Aigis asked as Minato stood, staring at the locked doors.

He shook his head in response. "Not now." They were on his mind and it would ruin his concentration.

The team of four traversed down the tunnel, only feeling reassured as Fuuka led them through the darkened, clammy walls. "I sense the target two blocks ahead of you! It's moving slowly downward. Chase after it!"

A Shadow leaped from the darkness.

"Please stay on guard. There are some Shadows in the tunnel too," Fuuka warned as Minato batted it away with his compendium. He kicked the Insidious Maya into the wall and let Yukari make the final blow through its mask.

Obviously, Minato would have time to mull over his quiet seething. "Convenient," he muttered. Yukari pulled the arrow from the concrete.

As they walked, they observed tread marks in the ground. Thrums and vibrations came through, signalling that it was some kind of vehicle—a tank, from what the tracks indicated.

Remnants of weaponry were strewn across the floor in greater numbers than before. "Whoa... This place seems to have been some kind of weapons depot. I've never seen so many weapons before..." Fuuka gasped. "All designed to kill... But, I guess that's the reality of war... It's hard to believe that a time like that actually existed..."

His eyes shuttered. She made it sound like it had ended. People just chose not to pay attention.

"Akihiko. Shadow."

On cue, he planted his fist into rock-hard hide. It was a Justice Sword, about to swing its blade into him. Akihiko wrestled against the strength of the Shadow, giving Minato an opportunity to hurl a Garula-using Shadow at it.

The wind tore into the Shadow's skin and blew it into the nearby wall, making groans of metal as it lifted itself from the pile of artillery. With Minato recalling his Shadow, Aigis sped forward and grabbed the Shadow by its sword.

A thud rang through the room. It dissipated. "Enemy annihilated."

There was a brief moment of understanding between the four: be on guard.

Tunnels ahead had patches of steel sewn into the floor, with stitches of darkness making it difficult to discern the dust filled throat. The occasional creaks and whirrs from working gears only served to make the atmosphere just that bit more unnerving.

"Watch out! There's a Shadow spinning towards you!" Fuuka warned.

"What kind!?" Minato exclaimed, his eyes darting through the shadows.

The dark tornado came in a torrent. "A Wild Drive," she informed.

Oh. Those fuckers!

He could feel the air being disturbed by the Shadow's roaring. "Hug the left wall!" Minato experienced the same shuddering the tunnel did ceaselessly. It wasn't aiming for them. It slammed into the walls and sent the trembling impacts through the hall. "Akihiko!"

"Polydeuces!" In a flash, his Persona appeared with a bolt of lightning in hand. Crackling, it screamed when it was thrust into the Shadow. Locks of metal and grinding shrieked when the Zionga hit home.

A blur shot into the Wild Drive with no chance of recovery. Brief blue paralysed the foe before ripping it apart into gore. "What was that Shadow even doing...?" Yukari wondered to herself as Minato recalled his own.

"I do not know. But our main enemy is ahead. We must focus."

"You're right Aigis. The target has stopped. It's waiting in the next area. Be careful!" With that, the team moved ahead. The darkness grew and grew, until it engulfed them and pulled them under.

They were thirty-three metres underground.

A set of yellow eyes stared at them, being the only things they could see in the darkness. "This explains the tread marks... It's using the tank as armour!"

"A tank." Minato sighed. This was going so well. They could see, so well. "Scan."

"Roger that."

There was a surprising amount of space in the bunker, which the team began to spread out in. Golden sigils flashed on the ground, triggering their reaction to dodge. The Hama spell splashed temporary illumination in the darkness, searing in their memories the enemy's image. "Its Arcana is Justice..." Fuuka murmured. "Wait, it's Chariot? What the—

"Why am I sensing two entities...? It doesn't make sense!"

The tank clanked into action, while a yellow blur shot towards him with a rain of bullets on Minato. "I see... there are two parts to the Shadow. The bottom is the Chariot, while the turret is Justice!" Fuuka said. "You have to defeat both of them! They don't have any weaknesses."

Easier said than done. Minato hissed in annoyance and dodged the line of shots. Or at least, two waves of the torrent. The third hit home when he realised the turret had him trapped by the earlier assaults, leading him to switch his Persona to minimise the damage. Still, the bullets burned into him until he found himself against the wall. "I thought you'd be stronger than that! This should be easy then!" he heard the Shadow taunt.

"I'm hoping you're not serious..." Minato growled as he cast a Diarama spell to neutralise the pain, on guard for any more attacks.

"You better catch me." Talkative for a full moon Shadow, wasn't it?

"Kishimaru, use Garudyne and knock it into the other Shadow," Minato whispered.

"You have to do better than that." Arcana Justice flung into close range before he could summon and slammed Minato into the nearest wall. His wounds scorched under the Justice Shadow's smirk, making it difficult to concentrate on his next action. "And all the others thought you were trouble! I'm not going to believe them now."

"Shut up!" he rasped, groping for his compendium.

"You're not going to win! You'll die here and together with our mother, we will be victorious!" the Shadow gloated. It still had every bit of vigilance and swung its turret into Minato's dominant hand, knocking away the tome. Maybe it was just his imagination, but a huge pain was evident in his arm, shooting fire as he tried to shift it.

Broken. Just his luck.

"You better catch me." Minato growled as the Justice Shadow flew for the book on the ground, comfortable in its tiny grip.

"Look out!" he yelled, catching the attention of his other three teammates. "Justice incoming!"

"Heehee. I wonder what this thing has inside…" Arcana Justice seemed to smirk as it rifled through the pages, trying to find the most devastating thing in the book.

"Get my book back!"

"Understood." Aigis leaped towards the Shadow. It wasn't expecting the next assailant and was swept through the air.

"Get outta the way, stupid robot!" the Justice Shadow screeched. The human members nearly flinched at the board scratching wail, barely dodging the bullets it spewed. "You'll pay for that! Get 'em!"

Arcana Chariot responded to its master's calls and the other rushed towards Aigis so she'd move, forming the single menace from before. "They've fused together again! Watch out!" Fuuka blurted out. With her Persona, she could feel their merged strength. Independently, the two Shadows were bad, but together with combined power she could feel the ripples of two cast stones.

"Not one of you will get out alive!" The Justice component roared and commanded its Chariot to the tunnel behind.

"What is it doing!?" Yukari shouted.

"It's going towards the tunnel, but..." Minato stopped short as he realised what the two Shadows were going for. They'd thought the behaviour of the Wild Drive earlier was strange, but until now there wasn't a reason. "Stop it from shooting!"

Polydeuces, Aigis and a funnel of wind charged at the combined Shadow at his words. "Tch... Persona," Minato muttered. He didn't like using Persona that much, but with his compendium gone, there wasn't much of a choice he could make.

A purple haze fell on the Shadow, leading Akihiko's Persona to disappear with its job done. The Garula twisted into the Chariot Shadow's side and Aigis bolted with a kick to knock the Justice and Chariot Shadows over. Master Justice zoomed from the wreck with the metallic red angel, Power, on its tail.

"You can't stop me..." it growled, spraying Myriad arrows at the team to keep its pursuer in particular at bay. The tank behind it groaned to action and further impeded them with a wild rush into the team.

"Is it aiming for the crack the Wild Drive made earlier?" Fuuka mumbled as Power threw its spear at Arcana Justice.

"Exactly," Minato forced through gritted teeth.

"This is your grave!" The Justice proclaimed as the spear zipped past its wing—not close enough. Bullets and bombs pelted into the cracks.

What were they going to do?

"We can't be trapped in here!"

"I'm not going to listen to it..."

Minato bit his lip as Power picked up its weapon and thrust it towards Arcana Justice.

A loud rumble.

The Shadow was plunged into the ground with a bent turret by Power's attack. Surely that would've been long enough for a collapse, but—

"The structures of this facility are quite strong. It would need more impact to cause significant damage to the bunker," Aigis informed. "It is a military bunker after all, with reinforced walls and scaffolding to prevent collapse."

That Justice Shadow obviously found out the hard way.

"You've got to be kidding me!" it wailed as Minato's Persona wrenched his book from its grip. "Why didn't it work!? Why!?" Arcana Justice sobbed into the ground.

With touch, Minato's compendium shrieked with sacrilegious whispers of murder, suicide and warped terror.

Everyone's vision spun as shadows, darker than night, palled the room. Pulled by their flesh and compressed into the smallest space, the most accursed blessing warped their senses with scorched nerves.

"They've all disappeared, including the Shadows and our team!" Fuuka gasped, almost unable to process the influx of power she'd felt. It was surely strong enough for even the combat-based Persona users to feel; the swamp of cold heat that rushed through their systems. It was also nothing that she'd ever felt before.

Mitsuru had an idea.

"What happened?" Minato groaned.

"I... I'm not really sure myself," Pharos answered. "But I can tell you this—you're in Tartarus."

"Tartarus!?"

"Yes. I believe that it might've had something to do with your compendium," he mused aloud. "But you better find those Shadows and your... team. You need to get your compendium back too."

"Loving how you're putting my compendium on top priority."

"Yes, Mr. Anti-Social, your teammates are important." The greens of the Thebel block filled Minato's vision when his eyes opened. Well, he had the intent of rolling his eyes at Pharos.

Thump!

"I better find it..." He hopped to his feet, immediately regretting that as his wounds from earlier hadn't been healed. With that in mind, he cast a Diarama spell to wash his burning injuries and broken arm—almost falling as another thump ran through the floor.

"Hey, come here." Pharos's apparition beckoned Minato to the corner where he stood. There in the corridor he saw the Chariot Shadow on the prowl. "I don't know where your friends are... the other ordeal is nearby too though. Be careful."

"...thanks Pharos." He disappeared, but not before pointing out the separated Justice Shadow the other direction, sprawled and convulsing with ugly sobs on the ground. The compendium lay near it.

Thump! The Chariot ploughed into the nearest wall.

He ran towards Arcana Justice and picked up his compendium, who only howled further at its loss. "Hey."

"What!?"

"Come here." He remembered that he'd kept the rest of the full moon Shadows in that notepad of his. The Shadow faded into pad after giving him a baleful look, secured within.

Thump!

Shadows were gathering near the larger rampant after hearing the beating of war drums. This was certainly not going to be a walk in the park with all these Shadows around. He still had to deal with the Chariot Shadow too.

"Interesting friend you have."

A voice from behind loomed over Minato. "The Reaper…?" he muttered to himself.

"I'd like it very much if you removed that Shadow from the premises. I'm afraid that it's damaging the labyrinth," it whispered.

"Why don't you do it yourself?"

"I didn't say I was just going to leave it to you."

"Oh."

"And you're not alone."

"Hey! I found it!" Akihiko yelled, beckoning Yukari and Aigis to the room. Shadows were gathering there, seemingly drawn to the Chariot Shadow's presence. He pulled up his Evoker and shot Polydeuces out of his skull, summoning a Mazio spell on the Shadows.

Many of them burst into gore as they were cracked open by splits of blue-white light, spilling blackness on the battlefield. Those that were left...?

"See that tank? Maul it. Kill it. Spill that goddamned ichor all across the floor because I'm afraid I'll be mopping up after your own corpses."

Minato trembled as he cupped his hand to his mouth after commanding the lesser Shadows. They'd frozen to full attention upon hearing his voice, hearing Death's stronger voice wash over their senses.

They drifted towards the Chariot Shadow, who began to charge against the oncoming sea of Shadows with a Swift Strike attack. The treads smashed into flesh, staining the metal with night.

The Reaper chuckled as it floated from behind the corner, sending chills down everyone's spines (except for Aigis).

"We can't really be dealing with the Reaper too, can we!?" Yukari stammered as she summoned Io, firing a Garula blast at the Chariot Shadow. She couldn't even fathom having to deal with a full moon Shadow _and_ the Reaper too. Honestly, Minato was thankful that no-one had to as well.

It chuckled and shot icy shrapnel from its revolvers at the Chariot Shadow. Cold spread from the shards and pinned it against the nearest wall. "The Reaper appears to be assisting us for the moment," Aigis pointed out as she leaped out to shoot Arcana Chariot. The bullets left shallow dents in the tank's armour with every satisfying 'clang'.

"Aim for its face!" Minato shouted as he wiped away some blood.

Its exposed, square face spun wildly as it struggled against the spears of ice, spewing poison gas against the waves of incoming Shadows. Ice and fire shot into the Chariot, beginning to eat away at the hull and treads with heat and rapid cooling.

"Can you do me a favour?"

"Whatever would that be?" the Reaper asked with a chuckle.

"I need you to scare them away for a moment. I'll handle the Chariot Shadow."

"...You shall repay me." It floated amongst the throng of shrilling Shadows, heading towards the team.

"Guys, just run! I can handle this guy!" Minato yelled.

"This isn't good..." Akihiko wasn't sure about leaving Minato alone, but with the Reaper coming towards them, he also doubted he could argue with that.

"We'll go back around!" Yukari said as she started to run.

"Are you sure this is the action which will optimise our utility?"

"Yes."

Minato turned back towards the pierced Chariot Shadow. "Get in here!" he hissed, crunching his spiritual energy around the thrashing beast. It wailed and forced itself off the wall, despite its now decrepit body.

The wounded roared and thrashed about in the crowd of Shadows, finally ridding it of those insects. After all, who followed the orders of a human? Its glare fixed on Minato. He wouldn't even need words to figure out how that Shadow was feeling; a feeling that needed to be quashed.

"Samael." Crimson bled from the air, arching back with flared wings towards the Chariot Shadow. Electricity steeped the air as searing light formed in the snake's maw, coiling around the beast's throes.

It latched its jaws into the hull of the tank, holding onto the energy forming. Arcana Chariot's treads were strapped by Samael's long body, with no way to defend itself from the Persona. The orb of light engulfed the Shadow's body and ate away at the hull, dribbling light that nearly burned to look at.

"Get. In. Here." Minato again increased the pressure of his spiritual power, squeezing the Chariot's broken body into a ball of blackened gore. The flesh of the Shadow warped into the notepad, sticking reluctantly to the spiral.

Silence. Breathing. Iron. He breathed out, suppressing his smirk. Today was done.

"You still owe me. Remember that."

"Friendly." Pharos chuckled as he appeared outside again. "You did well, Minato."

"Hope so." He held his hand up. The other grinned and met it with his. No-one would hear, but the impact seemed real.

"How're we getting out of here?" Pharos asked.

"We'll find the others and... get to an access point," he replied. It was getting harder to suppress his coughing and blood.

"Alright. Imagine if they found out what you did so that they wouldn't see you obtaining that Shadow though."

"How about I don't?"

Laughter ensued between the two.

* * *

**AN: Sorry that it took so long (read: more than two months). I'm just happy to get it out of my system, so maybe the rest of the fight is a bit rushed. Anyways, thanks for reading and hope you liked the chapter. Later.**

**(I renamed some of the chapter names, so maybe they're funnier.)**


	29. Ritual of the Beast

Something was wrong when you thought 'I could cut myself with this' when you looked at a knife.

That was what he thought. He could do it with a razor. He could pick at his skin with the nearest toothpick or safety pin. He could jump off the nearest building and experience his last bout of vertigo. He could drown himself. He could slowly bleed out. He could overdose.

Something sharp. Something blunt. Something poisonous. Anything.

Pain would numb pain. It was also a decision he hadn't made up until then. Even though there was occasional beckoning from his recesses, he ignored it and continued shivering in the shadows. He'd be alone with nothing else but some brand-like words hammering at his brain.

He was hated.

He was a burden.

He was a curse.

It was her dark parts, so it had to be true. Hot tears ran down in the cold comfort. Well, they were honest, right? They hadn't really lied, as far as he could tell. Then there was a mirthful chuckle that devolved into snotty sobs.

He took the razor near him. It was supposed to be for keeping away anything that wanted to attack him, but their work was cut out for them.

Trembling clatters. The blade shook in his tiny hand. He held it against his forearm, just icy against his wrist. Gently. Gliding across his skin. A deformed smile. He wouldn't even press hard enough.

Oh. A burn with a little blob of red split. A few more popped up. They split too. They fell apart. He shivered as he watched the welt sneer with red teeth. Now, he wouldn't imagine himself without it.

About a centimetre away from the first—the very first. A second. It's deeper this time. There's more red because he put more pressure. A smirk climbed onto his face as he watched the blood spread like a virus across the milky paste of his flesh.

At this rate, it would be him doing more damage than one of those monsters and he was totally fine with it.

What was happening? He felt like things were going to end. The green would disappear. He wished he could too. He hid the razor under his bed. His aunt never checked there. No-one would find out. He just needed to wear something to cover it—

His heart pounded. Was it the hot air?

It was partly why Minato hated summer now. Things were so warm that trying to wear a coat or long-sleeved anything just didn't work. No-one questioned him after a snark and a glare, but trying to survive the swelter in a jacket was hell. "Hey, are you okay?" he heard Yukari say.

Of course it was her. He nodded and picked up his bag.

Minato was conscious of the itch that came from his wrist as he motioned towards it. When he finally found the ambition that kept him going now, he'd gradually stopped cutting. Although the scars remained he'd almost forgotten about it.

He steeled his grasp and stood. "Are you alright? You seem more tired than usual."

Minato nodded slowly, forcing an impassive expression.

"Well... I'll see you at the dorm. Later." With that, Yukari left.

Did he have a compass with him? Or scissors? He didn't think he had a razor blade with him. There was probably something under his bed though. He felt something cold in his hand.

Minato forced his feet to move. Sachiko wanted to meet with him and she was waiting for him at the shrine. He didn't want to go.

...

She hated Cassandra.

No, she wasn't talking about a random idiot who got on her nerves from school or an equally random creep stranger from outside; she meant that woman from Greek mythology whose predictions about the future were never believed because of that curse Apollo put on her.

Okay, so maybe couldn't really blame the woman herself (rejecting a man's advances was a completely reasonable thing to do, even if it wasn't encouraged during the period) but the frustration and sadness she felt must've been near unimaginable.

That was not what Sachiko signed up to feel, especially as a detective.

Minato hadn't once contacted her since the last time they met. Not a word. Not even a text. What was more aggravating was that she knew the reason.

At this point, she'd almost had enough of waiting and was going to confront him. If he didn't do it after that, Sachiko would call someone herself.

She saw him drag his feet, even up the stairs. Sachiko could only assume that he wasn't looking forward to meeting with her for exactly the reason she called him. "Hey."

Minato regarded her with a nod before stopping in front of her. He inclined his head.

"I was worried about you. Your arm's in a cast..."

That it was. His dominant hand was broken from the full moon Shadow fight. He nodded in response.

"But... you look okay. I'm glad." Sachiko smiled slightly.

He mirrored her expression for a moment. "But... you haven't called anyone yet, right?" Her words came slower. Apprehension. His heart and stomach dropped.

Minato scrunched his brow and set his teeth. "I thought so." Here was what he wanted to avoid.

"Minato, seriously. Something is wrong and you're hurting." Sachiko gritted hers. If it was him, he'd know exactly what to say. But she wasn't him and he was the one in trouble.

He rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. The itch came back. "I'll do something about it... but not today."

"I'll call them myself if you don't do it the day after tomorrow, alright?" Sachiko sighed. "I gave you a month but..."

He looked to the ground. "Sorry." When was the last time he said that? He swore bile uprooted his mouth.

"It's fine..." She reached slowly towards him. Flinch. Sachiko looked up.

Shit. Minato bit his lip. "S-Sorry. I'm... not used to people touching me."

She retracted her hand. "I should've asked."

"Even though I've done that to you already?" Minato smiled sheepishly.

"True enough, but you can't help and respect a person's boundaries sometimes." "Anyways. I found some more information about the killings... I'll explain it from the start."

Nod.

"There are four perpetrators that are working with a group called Strega. They use Shadow Whispers to control large groups of Shadows, which are then sent to feast on their target's mind. Because of the severity, the target ends up getting killed.

"They often meet during the Dark Hour and I found out their names after some investigating," she explained.

"Their names?"

"Yeah. They're aged from sixteen to seventeen. Their leader is called Kishimaru Fukawa. The rest are Hakori Naegi, Shina Tanaka and Yoko Asahina."

"I know the first one."

"You do?" Sachiko's eyes widened.

"Kishimaru was my friend. But since I left Iwatodai before, I didn't know what happened to him."

She nodded slowly. "Well... they're killing... largely innocent people. What are you going to do?"

Minato shrugged. "I haven't thought about it yet."

"I wouldn't expect it. Honestly, I'm more concerned about you than them." Sachiko shook her head, leaving Minato to wonder why. "Let's meet up here again in two days, alright?"

He nodded slowly.

"I'll see you later."

"Later." After glancing around at the empty surroundings, Minato pulled his sleeve up and cringed as he saw the rifts of uneven skin itch on his wrist.

He was greeted at the dorm by none other than Koromaru. "Arf arf!" The dog nuzzled his leg, obviously happy to see him with that wagging tail. Koromaru had finally healed and joined SEES' ranks a couple of days ago before summer school started. It would be a while before they'd go to Tartarus with the injuries sustained from the last fight, but it would be interesting to see how Koromaru did in battle.

"Hi, how was your day?" Fuuka asked.

Minato made a so-so motion with his hand. For once.

"That's good." She looked at her lap.

He inclined his head.

"O-Oh, nothing. I'm just… thinking," she said quickly. Minato just looked on, waiting for her to answer. "I was thinking about what happened two days ago."

"I don't know." There came a low grumble, which soon subsided. Hissing.

"I wonder if anyone else has an idea as to what happened…" Fuuka tightened her fists. "I… sorry, I'm happy that everyone was safe, but it was so strange. All of a sudden, I couldn't detect your presences and I was…"

"Scared?" Rumble… Faint laughter.

"Yes. I was scared and I didn't know what to do. If that did somehow happen again or something similar, I want to be prepared for it."

"Sorry." Was he? Again, he felt bile rising in his mouth.

"N-No, it's alright… and you're sure you don't know?" Fuuka looked nervously.

Minato shook his head. It confused him as much as anybody else. But then again… Shadows could manipulate time and space. All of the Shadows that were in his compendium had disappeared, except for Sho and Kishimaru. The ones in the notepad were separate, so they were fine too.

She nodded and he took it as his cue to leave. "I'm sorry Minato-kun."

He turned back with a sceptical expression. "I trust you… and I should act like I do. I just… I'm so confused. I'm sure everyone else feels that way too."

"It's… It's fine…" he murmured. The thunder fell away.

Minato left at that, avoiding eye-contact with anyone else. He was pretty grateful that at the meeting Koromaru joined, the main focus was on him and summer school rather than the crazy warp thing that happened during the full moon. There was no doubt they'd be gathering more information about it.

He scrambled under his bed, groping at the luggage underneath. The bag was clawed open, books and frames spilling from it.

"Minato…"

"Pharos?"

"What are you doing?" he asked, floating near. His blood ran cold, but still he reached in. "Minato, I know what you're doing. But why?"

"I'm just looking for it. I won't do anything." Trembling clatter.

"I remembered something about the end." Minato looked up at the solemn Pharos. "It won't be because of one person… but because there are many people that wish for it. I don't think that you think it's strange, do you?"

"Not at all." He gazed at the sheathed blade in his shaky hand. Euphoric rushes sped through him, like his breath.

"Minato, I'm just worried. You might have all the potential in the world to grow, but the opposite is true too. I don't want that to happen to you," Pharos murmured.

There was only silence as he turned his eyes towards Pharos.

"I have one last thing I want to warn you about." He kneeled next to Minato. "Soon, the poisonous flowers will bloom; one in your own garden and three in the garden opposite yours. I don't know whether or not this has anything to do with the end, but you should be careful."

Minato nodded.

After a moment, Pharos said, "I'll contact you if I remember anything else." He disappeared.

Everything in his mind shrieked for him to put it away, but some monster in the background screwed up the words.

Clack. Clack. Clack clack clack. Clack.

The blade mesmerised him. It spoke dirty thoughts of ecstatic suffering when he looked at it. Minato pulled back his sleeve. Sureness split the seams of healed scars. Darkness pooled. It streamed. One cut. Two cuts. Three cuts. Four.

He soon fell asleep.

"Minato-san. It is time for summer school."

"Go back to your room, Aigis." Minato sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"I will do as I am told." The robot soon left. He was dressed after struggling with his cast. Hopefully it would come off him soon since having to deal with it was annoying. Everything ahead was a blur of heat.

It passed without incident, if you didn't count Edogawa's speeches on tarot. So it happened that Minato was having to learn a minimal amount from the Velvet Room, but that didn't change tarot's irrelevance, compared to their *actual* subjects. Get through summer school, he did.

In the hot night, he opened his notepad. Minato hadn't looked at the full moon Shadows, let alone used them. That was probably a good thing considering how many people would flip if they knew some of the Shadows were still alive.

Why was he keeping them? Because he could use them and kill them all later if it was really that urgent.

Low growls. Did they hear what he was thinking? "Sociable," he whispered.

"Why the hell would we be 'sociable'?" It was the voice of the Justice Shadow. All the others seemed to lurk like creatures in a devouring forest as they spoke.

"I don't know. Why are you talking to me?" Minato leaned back into his chair. If all of them were willing to talk (from past encounters, he'd learned that they usually weren't) it wouldn't be bad to try and tame them.

"What is justice?" it boomed.

"Justice?"

"Did I stutter?" Snarky too.

"Hm…" Minato sank in his chair. Edogawa's long-ass lectures might actually come in handy for once. "If there are two people who need a certain amount of money, then both of them get the same, equal amount."

"Why would they get the same?"

"Because that is what we would call 'fair'. Being 'fair' is part of being an agent of justice."

"If that was all it was, I bet a lot of people would be called agents of justice. What is my name?"

Minato shrugged.

"Make one up."

"Masashi Seito."

"I have no idea what that means, but okay. Nice to meet you."

"Why aren't the others talking?" Minato asked.

"Because the Emperor's being a stubborn asshole and doesn't want us to talk to anyone. But I'm the fucking Justice Arcana and I can do whatever I damn please." Masashi seemed to laugh. Minato could only imagine him smirking.

"Alrighty then. I'm Minato Arisato."

"I know. We all know you."

He furrowed his brow. "I've never met you before I fought with any of you."

"That's where you might be wrong."

The next day, Sachiko called him to an appointment. It looked as if she wouldn't take 'no' for an answer and was dragged along to a behavioural health education specialist, along with a therapist.

There were so many tests and questions that he was surprised he didn't rip any of them up. Make some drawings, have some more quizzes. At least the later ones weren't four-hundred questions long.

At the end of the day, he let Sachiko give him a hug.

* * *

**AN: As warned on my profile, this story does have triggers for self-harm in particular.**

**Will be edited soon-ish.**


	30. His Remaining Sanity

Movement was unknown.

He didn't know how to return the hug, having forgotten how to do so. Minato was just comforted in the softer sunlight, Minato breathed out. Now that he was a bit more aware, he wondered whether the thing that he saw and felt was real.

"You wouldn't even let me touch your hand earlier." Sachiko sighed as she rubbed his back. "Why is it different now?" she asked, hesitant to move.

His eyes darted to the ground. "My hands are a special case," he murmured. Sachiko moved from him and he felt hollow absence where she should've been. Minato shook his head and pulled back the sleeves of his blazer. "Almost anywhere else is okay."

She looked at her hand for a moment, then back to his as he pulled the scars out of sight. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Minato rubbed the back of his head, watching as Sachiko bit her lip. "You didn't know."

"Still." She looked at the ground, silently realising how much sense it made. Of course he would flinch away from the places he was scarred.

"You're the first one that I've told."

"What?"

He waited as she recomposed herself. "Do you trust me that much?"

Minato paused, searching her eyes. "I guess I do."

"Wow..." Sachiko ran her hand through her hair.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No... I'm just... kinda glad, I think." She smiled slightly.

"Can I tell you something?" he murmured.

Sachiko blinked. "O-Of course."

"Just... thanks, I think." Minato smiled brokenly, the rarity soon fading.

"It's fine. I was worried about you, so I just... did it, I guess." She nodded slowly. That smile of his didn't go unnoticed. "I haven't seen you smile in a long time."

The pit in his stomach deepened. He could count on his fingers the amount of times that he'd actually smiled into the year. About five or six times. "It's hard to."

How could she respond? Sachiko only gave a slow nod. "I just..." She clenched her fists. "I don't know. I don't know how I should deal with—no, I don't know exactly how to help you."

Minato bit his lip and looked at the ground. Was it right to ask? He whispered, only just loud enough for her to hear: "Can you hug me again?"

"Minato..." Sachiko wrapped her arms around him. "Of course." How did it end up that just the thought of giving someone a small physical action could make them happy? That couldn't be right.

People were supposed to be happy because they were passing in school. They just bought a new game and couldn't wait to play it. They were happy watching movies with their friends. To be so deprived of all of it that just giving a hug could make them feel the safest and most comforted felt so wrong.

Then, they think it's fake. "I'm sorry." He slowly returned it. They felt the need to be sorry and disapproving of everything they asked for, said, or did. It was like having your own security camera which shouted down insults at you.

"You don't have to be sorry. You will be okay, alright?" she said quietly. "I'll be there for you, okay?"

Minato closed his eyes. Something inside him doubted. Maybe he didn't want it. He could hear that something loud and clear. "Promise?"

"Promise." Sachiko sighed to herself. "Want to get something to eat?"

"Okay."

"Yes. Let's go." He didn't miss how her face lit up at that mention, even though she assumed calmness afterwards. "What are you waiting for?"

"I'm not." Minato began to walk, however slowly, then paused and held out his hand. She was surprised and hesitantly took it, noticing how he tightened his grip around hers.

Sachiko let him as the two walked in a comfortable silence. When they entered the shop, it was early evening and the smell washed over their senses.

It all passed slowly, Minato beginning to smile just a little more as they talked.

So when it came to the time they had to part ways, a hole in the shape of her was gouged out where she had been. It was so wrongly misplaced and he was awake in his bed, wanting it all back.

"The Dark Hour's coming soon," Pharos murmured.

"I know." Minato squeezed his eyes shut.

"Hey..." He appeared at Minato's side and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. It seemed Pharos already knew why he wouldn't be touched at his hands or legs. "Minato, it's okay to cry."

"I don't want to. I'm not supposed to fucking cry." He felt the absence grow in his chest, like his lungs had been ripped out. It was like he couldn't breathe.

Pharos sighed. He could feel it too, although to a lesser extent. "Pharos... Are you real?" The words were lightning.

He took a moment before answering, "I am, Minato. I know some things don't seem to be, but I am."

"Okay." Pharos grimaced as he saw him drift off to sleep. Of course he was. Minato wouldn't be sure. "I don't want it to be gone..." he murmured, almost sure it would be.

Within a day, she'd shown him and stolen something: something irrevocable; something important.

...

"Fuuka-chan, have you seen Minato-kun?" Yukari asked as she walked into the lobby.

"I haven't seen him come back yet. Why?"

"I'm just... wondering. He's been leaving class kinda early nowadays and it's strange," she said.

Junpei yawned as he came down for some instant ramen. Never hurt while he was playing Innocent Sin Online. "I wouldn't know... I'm not in your class," Fuuka replied.

"What're you guys talking about?" Junpei asked as he found the food in question.

Yukari looked over at him. "Oh. Uh... I was just asking about Minato," she replied slowly, bracing for a response.

"Never thought you'd be so interested in him, Yuka-tan," he said, stopping to pause.

"I mean... it might just be me, but Minato's been really quiet."

"Minato-senpai?" It was Ken. "I've seen him. He usually only greets whoever is occupying the lounge before going straight upstairs if he's here early."

"Ken-kun! How do you know that?" Fuuka asked.

Koromaru barked as he approached Ken. "Well, I hear him pass by my room in the evening. It's hard to miss," he shrugged. "Koromaru's also seen him, right boy?"

"Arf!" he affirmed.

"Koromaru says that he often sees Minato-san with someone, holding hands outside," Aigis informed. The words she spoke only became more incredulous as she went on. It started with 'often' to 'someone' to well… 'holding hands outside'.

"Who?" Yukari blinked. "You aren't being serious, are you Aigis?"

"I am only relaying what Koromaru has observed."

...

Usually, it was Sachiko that invited Minato out somewhere. He would be happy to go along with her, so long as they were close together the whole time.

"I feel like something sweet today…" she murmured. "You don't mind going to the sweet shop, do you?"

He raised an eyebrow. If she said that... "I want to try the brownie you had last time, so yeah."

"Oh yeah... I forgot you didn't have any the last time." Sachiko nodded to herself, unable to hide the smirk on her face.

"Shut up."

"Make me."

Minato just sighed and went ahead, while Sachiko caught up with him. "Hey, uh... you don't mind going out with me all the time? If it's too much trouble, then—"

"It's fine. If you're having a bit of fun, then it's fine." She smiled.

He gazed back warily. Well, at this point she wasn't expecting him to believe her. "If you say so."

"Hey... why is it that you don't believe me?"

Minato bit his lip and took a few moments before replying, "I used to trust people with this. I thought my aunt... I thought I could trust her. But she hates me."

"But why not? I think you're a good person," Sachiko murmured.

He smiled wryly. "I guess she thought I was a burden. And if there's someone that I like or care about who thinks the same way, I don't want them to."

"I don't believe that you're a burden, okay?"

He sighed, straining to smile. "Thanks."

"It's fine."

Minato nodded ever so slightly. Right. Sachiko wasn't like his aunt. "And..." She looked towards him. "I made a mistake."

"A mistake?"

"The Shadow whispers. I wanted to use them on my uncle." Sachiko hid her incredulous look. "I'd used them before for Kishimaru, my friend. And it worked.

"I wanted to use them on my uncle because I found out that my aunt didn't like me some time ago. I wanted to see whether he felt the same." Minato kept his face blank as he thought. "He did."

"Him too..."

"I became scared and angry after that. I think I said something... and I felt like the Shadow had grown so much stronger," he murmured. "The next day, we found him dead in a noose."

Sachiko didn't seem sure how to respond then. How could she think of anything to say after finding that out? "And I think after that, my aunt started blaming me for it. I'm sure it's true too."

She breathed out as she processed the information. It was an accident. "You aren't going to run?"

"No... I'm just taking it in. It isn't exactly something you hear every day."

Truthfully, his heart was pounding. "And it doesn't change the fact that I'm going to be there for you."

He couldn't even think of an expression on his face. The last time that he told anyone anything like this they became scared of him. Granted, he didn't tell Yukari properly, but... Minato couldn't help the smile he had. "Hey, you're smiling."

Minato blinked. "I am?"

"You're so funny sometimes." She laughed, mirroring his.

They arrived at the sweet shop shortly after, eating their food over small talk. He found that he laughed just a little more, especially as she started telling him about some smaller cases that she'd taken on.

Who knew people would go to detectives so they could find a cat who stole their underwear? Maybe it was because they weren't taking Sachiko seriously, but it was still funny.

In the end, they came to part ways in front of the dorm.

"Um... thanks for today," Minato said quietly.

"It's fine. It was fun... and I'm happy that you trust me more." She smiled back.

He felt his heart pounding again and heat suffusing his face. "I... I have to tell you something."

"What is it?"

...

"Arf arf!" Koromaru ran over to the doors, seemingly catching Minato's scent beyond them. There was another person there too.

"Is that Minato-senpai?" Ken asked, joining the dog.

Their shadows were partly visible; one taller, one shorter.

...

"I..." Minato sighed and shook his head. "Okay maybe this wasn't a good idea."

"You've already started and my curiosity isn't going to go away, okay?" Sachiko's laugh faded into a sigh.

"I um... I like you."

Sachiko blinked. This was nothing she'd expected to hear. "You do?"

He nodded.

"I... I like you too."

"You do?" he said slowly.

"Yeah..."

Minato bent a little and Sachiko, seeming to catch on, pressed her lips to his.

For a moment, he felt like everything would be alright. He couldn't ask for anything more. It didn't take long for their awkward first kiss to break but he immediately felt its absence.

"Uh... I'll see you tomorrow?" she asked.

"Y-Yeah. I'll see you later." With that, she went, having taken both his heart and another important something.

He slowly made his way to his room, saying brief greetings as he, the Myrmecoleon stalked past.

In there, he wanted her near. Sachiko had to fill the hollow absence. Now closer and the closest he'd ever been to someone, she'd made off with it, even if she didn't know.

Pharos and Minato knew. Even with that knowledge, he'd starve.

* * *

**AN: By the way, do you really believe this is going to end well? **

**I guess I might not have mentioned this before, but this story is very personal to me. Things are going to get even tougher from here.**

**I am currently editing the chapters of Whispers, since they've been bothering me. Please go check them out, if for the newer, more epic fights and some extra scenes which might shed a little more darkness on what's going on.**

**I'm also going to edit the Author Notes from before so that they're much shorter, but I'll try to address any major questions that came up in the reviews.**

**Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.**


	31. Black Spots

She'd never hated butterflies more.

Minato hadn't done more than fuse a few Personas, but Elizabeth couldn't help but think there was something wrong with him; more than usual. "Is there anything else?" she asked.

"Requests."

Elizabeth complied and handed him a thin book. Most of the requests were filled in aside from the current Tartarus requests. "These three." Those that he resolved to take.

"Please complete them as soon as possible."

He nodded in response and stood to leave, about to step out when—

"Be careful and cautious."

"…Okay."

Elizabeth sighed with his exit. "Your master's ways may lead to more harm than good," she whispered. She never knew someone could love so aggressively, but suffer so violently as a result. Bonds with others were supposed to make the people involved stronger, but when he established a meaningful bond with someone else, it became more of a detriment rather than an improvement.

"It is making him stronger and I do sense your concern… He has the choice of treading a road of pain, or one of regret," Igor murmured, opening his eyes. "It will be a question of what he chooses to bear."

"He should tread neither." Elizabeth shook her head. "I thought having a bond would help, but only the opposite is true."

He stifled a chuckle and flipped a set of cards left on his table. "The Tower… Death, and the Lovers, all in the upright position," Igor intoned. "A disaster leading to renewal, which will then lead to a choice…"

Elizabeth's eyes flickered. "Fate is indeed, a cruel mistress."

…

Why'd she say that?

"Hey." Minato looked up at the voice and smiled ever so slightly. "Why'd you call me out here?" Sachiko asked, walking closer. She couldn't help but mirror his expression. He always seemed to perk up whenever they met.

He rubbed the back of his head. "Do you… w-want to come with me to the festival?" Minato asked, trying to hide his stammering. To be honest, he didn't have many good memories about festivals since he'd never been taken to one, aside from the times his parents did. Those were all blurs. "Y-You don't have to i-it's just I dunno I—"

"It's okay, Minato!" Sachiko exclaimed, barely stopping the words tumbling from his mouth. "Of course we can go."

Minato laughed nervously, trying to think of what to say next. He'd only steeled himself for rejection, after all. "O-Oh okay. You don't have to be fancy I just—" Want to be with you. This time, the words died without his doing.

"I can't tell whether you're trying to use reverse psychology on me, but I'll see what I feel like." She smiled, calming him.

"…Alright." He breathed out. "Sorry I'm always… really awkward," Minato mumbled.

"I know you are." Sachiko reassured. "It's…" Fine. "Kinda cute."

"Cute?" He blinked. "How's that cute?"

"Hm…" Well, she didn't mean to say that. "I suppose it's because… I don't know. It just is." Her logic just failed her miserably there. "Long story short, I like it, okay? I guess it's because it means to me that you're being sincere." Only after trying to use her logic and go with what she felt did she find the reason? This was complicated…

Minato nodded slowly. "I-I guess… uh…" Yeah. "Okay," he said lamely.

"Is there anyone around?" she whispered.

"I don't think so…" Minato whispered back as he looked around the shrine. Empty. Koromaru would be at the dorm and people rarely went there except for maybe Ken. He was at the dorm too.

"I don't think so either." Sachiko cursed inwardly. She wasn't used to this. Was she supposed to be?

He hummed softly and held out his hand, waiting as she took hold of it. "Maybe we should go somewhere else."

"Yeah, that might be a good idea." She sighed and tried to calm herself down. Too bad her blood didn't agree. Technically they'd already known each other for half a year. This couldn't be wrong, could it? There wasn't really anything running through her mind that told her it would be a bad idea.

Besides, she doubted Minato was in this just for some meagre physical attraction.

"Where do you want to go?"

"How about I lead the way?"

"Alright."

The lone cats wandered down, wary of their watchers. It was only late afternoon then, but they felt evening approaching without a clock. It cooled traces of their presences in clear darkness. "Isn't this…?"

Minato somehow recognised the streetlamps and shining buildings. "Yes, it is," Sachiko answered. "Unless you don't want to go?"

"No. I'm just…" Surprised. "Yeah… Are you sure it'll be okay with your parents though?"

"If they care, they'll have to deal with it," she replied. "I don't believe they're home anyways."

"…If you say so."

"Indeed." Their paces sped onto the shadow of her house. She nimbly led the way with key in hand, stopping to take off her shoes in the vestibule. Sachiko waited for a moment as Minato did the same.

"It's not that impressive, is it?" Sachiko asked as Minato gazed upon the surroundings. If the mats and paper sliding doors were any indication, the house was fairly old.

"I'm just not used to it," he replied.

"It doesn't surprise me. More and more people have apartments or modern styles. Anyways…" She grasped Minato's hand once more without pausing, weaving through the maze of sliding doors and wood. "We changed some parts of the house so the rooms could actually be locked though," Sachiko murmured.

This time, the door swung open.

It _seemed_ to be safe in the room. Minato stood at the door until Sachiko beckoned him to the nearby desk. "You like TV Tropes too?"

"I might come off serious, but I'm not _that_ serious, am I?" She laughed as Minato blinked.

"N-No." He rubbed the back of his head. "But still… I…" Was this a good idea?

"Well… I trust you," Sachiko murmured. "I also don't know what you want to do."

"I don't want to do much."

"What do you mean by that?" She tilted her head.

Breathe, Minato. She fell silent as she felt his arms wrapping around her waist. "Can I kiss you?" he murmured against her ear.

"You dork…"Sachiko's small laugh faded, as with a moment, he brushed his lips against hers. She could faintly feel his breath, warm as it clung to her skin. Minato couldn't help but feel as if he was being watched, although it was the two of them. Perhaps that kept him from going further. "Close your eyes."

As he did so, she wrapped her arms around his neck, coaxing him just that bit nearer. Even then, he seemed shy or hesitant.

"Is that any better?" she asked, running her fingers through his hair.

"Yeah. I'm just… I've only done this once before," Minato murmured, somehow finding comfort in how she lingered on the apparent softness.

"I get it. But if you don't, you won't know how."

His heart fluttered in the cage of his chest as he weaved another, connection. Sachiko seemed to respond in kind, spinning it tighter and tighter. The bird seemed to soar higher and higher, seeming to enjoy a freedom which they'd never felt before.

An intake of soft air mixed, mingled, thready traces of her scent. Wind was picking up against his stony resolve. If it wasn't that strong, Minato could've crumbled before it, but as it was… well…

He also didn't want her to hate him for that.

Minato breathed out, finally breaking the kiss and opening his eyes. Were they always that blue? "Why'd you stop?"

"Did you like it?"

Sachiko glanced at the floor, then back to his eyes. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't."

A slight smile. "I'm glad." Truthfully, he was more than glad and he was even happier that he was.

"I'm glad you are." She turned her gaze to the window, where amber light slipped in. "What's the time?"

"Not sure." Could it stop there? Minato sighed inwardly and let go of Sachiko, already starting to miss her warmth. If only.

"It's six…" She returned to him and into his arms. "There's still time, isn't there?"

It wouldn't be enough. "Yeah," he murmured. "I want time to stop."

Sachiko wasn't sure whether she could bring herself to say a snarky remark about how cheesy he was being. "I want to be with you all the time too." He tightened his grip a little. She sighed inwardly and led him to the bed, motioning to lie down.

He was glad that she didn't know the meaning of that statement. Next to each other, so close, just sleeping against the grain of the world—it was a moment only matched by when their lips touched.

Minato hoped she was unknowing of how badly he seemed to be addicted to her presence. It wasn't even some possessive lust he felt. It was only how he needed her to be there and how she was there when he wanted to do nothing more but get revenge and die for it straight after.

Being wrapped up in a sweet dream turned reality, he could wish it would never end. But he knew it would. Because 'time never waits'.

The presence she'd gouged out whenever they were apart became deeper every time, but filling it in also became more of a relief.

Somehow, he didn't want Sachiko to know what he thought about her. Minato wasn't sure he had the courage to say it then. It was more than a 'like'; it was a kind of twisted love. The kind that had the qualities of a stimulating drug and the after effects of a depressant pumped into his chest. The kind that would relapse into suffocation of fake water—the kind you could breathe in, but made you sick when you tried to surface again.

After this, he wasn't sure he'd ever want to leave her. She'd get tired of him, he was sure. Just like the rest. That only welled up tears as he thought. Her back was against his chest, so she couldn't tell. He held her just a bit tighter.

Light dimmed and violet streamed into his vision as the sun went down, down, down… Sachiko hadn't moved. The rhythm of her breathing was all that was left.

However, he could feel her getting cool even through her clothes. "Hey, are you okay?" Minato heard the words tremble as they crawled out his mouth.

There was no response, but a sort of deafening silence that hammered at his ears. They hit hard and fast against them. Or was it his heart racing? He couldn't tell. Oh, but this was it. That was what he was going for.

There was an attempt to shake her awake, but even when her body moved, Minato didn't see the rise and fall of her chest. She was gone. Just like the rest.

"Minato!"

He wasn't asleep. Sachiko was the one shaking him. He blinked in confusion, his heart still pounding like the beat of a death knell. "Oh…" That wasn't real.

"You scared me…" she murmured, trying to hide her sobs.

Minato blinked in confusion, his heart still pounding like the beat of a death knell. "What did I do?"

"Y-You were…" How the hell could she say this thing aloud?

Her hand lingered around her neck. "I'm sorry…" for whatever he did.

"No, it's fine. It's… kinda late," Sachiko said as she observed the surroundings out the window. "Do you need to go back to the dorm?"

His stomach sank and his chest began to cave in. "I think so," Minato agreed slowly.

"Alright. I'll see you at the summer festival, okay?"

"Okay."

He left soon after, trudging his way, dragging his feet and missing her already. There was some niggling feeling at the back of his mind wondering what had made her so agitated like she was, but it was quickly being numbed by overpowering longing.

There had been at least two hours which they slept in, but somehow there was no rest. He could make out now some kind of dark voice grinning close to him like a monkey strapped to his back. Was it then the progenitor of murderous thoughts, feasting on his troubles as if to satiate a sick hunger for misfortune and violence?

The thoughts slipped his mind, especially as he came closer to the dorm. It was more a large, rectangular cell at this point. He'd be running free, but he had to come back. Always.

"Hi, how was your day?"

"Hello!"

"Greetings."

"Arf arf!"

He pursed his lips before answering, "Alright."

"Minato-senpai…" Ken approached hesitantly. "We'd been noticing that you've been coming back to the dorm at a later time than usual. We were wondering why. Just out of curiosity."

He raised an eyebrow before saying, "Is it anyone's business?" Minato questioned, as calmly as he could. It wasn't like he was looking to get angry at someone.

"Arf arf arf!" Koromaru circled around Minato's legs, wagging his tail all the while.

"Koromaru-san says that you have found a mate."

"Boof."

"He also refers to the person that you part ways with before you come into the dorm."

"A mate?" Minato stared blankly at the dog. What even, Koromaru? He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Guys, I'm sorry I hang out with people, but you don't need to rub the fact that you have more friends than I do in my face."

"Oh Minato-kun! We didn't mean to offend you," Fuuka apologised hastily. "Everyone's just been curious. You don't really talk to anyone once you come into the dorm, so we never know what you might be doing…"

"Okay, but I bet _everyone_ also wants to know who that person is, right?" Junpei came downstairs to get some instant ramen, it seemed.

Minato just sighed and walked slowly past him as the other made his way to the kitchen.

"Well… do you have any idea, Junpei-san?" Ken asked.

"Actually, maybe! I've seen him hanging out with…" The voice trailed away as Minato neared his room.

…

She lingered near her neck as she slept.

Her eyes fluttered open, her heart still pounding like the beat of a death knell.

* * *

**AN: Sorry if this chapter is crappy... I kinda just threw the words onto here. I promise I'll edit it when I get the chance, but right now if there are any errors or things that don't make sense, you might just have to deal with them. **

**As a collective thing, thanks for the kind words, everyone. Things will only get worse for Minato as the story goes on, in ways that you probably won't expect. I hope you look forward to what's up ahead.**

**Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter. Later.**


	32. Muted Regards

'Take a deep breath, deep breath.'

Grey eyes met grey eyes, blinking together in unison as they watched their chests heave. It was his idea in the first place, but that didn't mean he couldn't be nervous. His tightened lungs felt weighty and he couldn't stop looking for air which didn't seem in abundance.

He shook his head like a wet dog and pulled a shirt on. "C'mon… You can do this… It's just her," Minato reminded his reflection over and over again. It was an unfortunate temperature that day, especially since it was in the middle of the summer. How could he hide his cuts?

Now, before his first date, he regretted the welts along the length of his arm—especially the ones around his wrist. They chafed the most since it was irritation upon irritation, skin upon skin. Growling to himself, he removed a roll of bandages from a cabinet, wrapped it and fixed it around his fingers. If he did it on both arms, would it be less noticeable?

Pause. Sigh.

Screw it. Screw it, screw it, screw it…

Maybe it was his anxiousness getting the better of him, but as he retrieved his belongings and shoved them into his jeans, he read Sachiko's messages five, ten, twenty times, reassuring himself that he wasn't going to be late.

The whole situation was making his brain run laps double time, even though it should've and probably would've been a simple affair. Clapping his hands over his cheeks, he headed out. Apparently the others were making similar preparations to go to the shrine, so Minato was more than grateful not to be seen as he headed out.

Well, that was except for Koromaru, who looked like he was also waiting for someone. Maybe Ken.

He gave a bark in goodbye as Minato headed out the doors. "Right, see ya," he murmured to Koromaru. The dog could hear that, right?

He didn't give it much more thought before he was on the road to Naganaki Shrine. There was a river of people, entering and exiting in waves of blues, pinks and reds. Many people, even the children, came dressed in yukata, hair done up and maybe carrying lanterns or umbrellas.

A few minutes later, he reached it, deciding to take a vantage point from near the top of the stair entrance. Hopefully it would make it easier to spot Sachiko from there, especially since there was a lot more people. Usually it was the odd elderly person coming to pay respects there, but the festive spirit was in full force.

Minato checked his watch. 5:51 PM. He was early. He figured that maybe he'd been too anxious about it, which was why he went when he did. Were people this stressed on their first dates?

He sure hoped he could get used to it, because the pressure he felt on him, especially on his chest, was more than overwhelming. His heartbeat simply wouldn't calm down. He breathed in and out deeply, hoping to quell it.

His stomach felt sick, tossing and turning within him. Minato had never realised how nervous he was until then. Quick! What were they going to do on the date?

The train of thought halted, coming to a slow.

He was now very aware of the pressing around his head, dully aching with thought. It wasn't working. Braindotexe has stopped working.

Muttering and berating his head for skipping out on important thinking time, Minato squeezed his eyes shut, barred his teeth and concentrated on waiting everything out. He almost lost count of how many times he looked at his watch and swept his line of sight across the ocean of colours.

That was until he saw lavender faintly in the sunlit sea. If his heart was pounding out of nervousness before, it was fluttering now.

Dammit. He had to get back on track. They were pretty much just going to go around the shrine stalls, play some games, get some snacks, some souvenirs sounded good too… and you know, pay respects at the shrine…

On that thought, he bit his lip and recalled it; mottled and frayed by time, he recalled the last tanabata festival that he'd gone to: Autumnal notes playing about the trees; His aunt, in dark blue—

"What're you thinking about?"

Minato turned towards the source of the voice, broken from his reverie. Sachiko, to put it in one word, looked dainty. Dressed in a deep red yukata accentuated by pink floral patterns depicting sakura branches and faintly lit by what he thought was makeup, he was at a loss for words. "I-I… Nothing, just thinking about uh… the last time that I went to a festival. It's been a while," Minato admitted.

She smiled slightly. He'd be surprised if he didn't go into cardiac arrest at least once that day. "I haven't been to one in a while, either. New Year's greetings don't really count, do they?" Sachiko inclined her head and his eyes were drawn, fixated on the way her hair and the ornaments decorating it swayed. It was normally down and he was more than interested to know how her hair was put up.

He rubbed the back of his head. "Not really," he replied. "U-Um… You look uh… pr-beautiful." Minato's voice almost completely died by the time he got to the end of his sentence. What a time to mess up. He sighed, looking down at the floor to hide his flushed face.

Her eyebrow arched slightly, but it seemed that she managed to catch what Minato was saying. "It was really nothing," Sachiko replied easily. She took his right hand. "But I'm glad you like it."

His eyes met hers, surprised by the sudden contact. For a moment, his mind lingered on the warmth of her hand wrapped around his. Minato hoped it was just the delirious summer heat, but it was likely his embarrassment getting to him. He nodded, not really knowing what the gesture itself meant, or if it really had any meaning by this point.

The thoughts went from their holding hands to his bandaged left arm. He was glad that she hadn't asked about it yet, if she'd noticed. Knowing her, she probably had. "Um… Anyways, l-let's go… Anywhere you wanted to go first?"

Sachiko seemed surprised as well. The way he carried himself now reminded her that Minato wasn't defined by his unconscious actions. For that moment, the small fear she had was dashed. "Not off the top of my head… I guess we can go to the bell first and… if I see anything that catches my eye, I'll let you know?"

"Y-Yeah, that's fine." They took their time towards the heart of the shrine. It was there that the stream of people thickened. Minato tried suppressing the way his blood ran cold at the swarm in front, but not enough, clearly, as he couldn't resist his sharp intake of breath.

She squeezed his hand lightly. "Hey, try this."

Minato felt a solid something get shoved into his latter one. It was a white kitsune mask with red markings forming eyebrows and around the eyes and mouth. He put it on. His breaths were trapped within it, warmth clinging to his face.

"You look cute with it on." Sachiko couldn't see his surprise until he took the mask off. "I think it suits you."

He inclined his head, deciding to wear the kitsune mask and push it to the side. "Why's that?"

She furrowed her brow. "To be honest, I don't really know why. I'm at a loss," Sachiko admitted.

"Well… Thanks, anyways." Cute? He rubbed the back of his head. Never a compliment he thought he'd receive, especially from her.

As the two of them approached the bell, Minato put on his mask, realising something—something striking. Peering through the crowd, he just held onto Sachiko's hand and eventually waded through, even as they bowed near the towering torii gates.

The mask gave him an odd safety. Whether it was on purpose or not, it was something of a lifeline. Unable to see his face, his expressions, everyone else just saw a guy with a mask getting into the festive spirit. He thought he heard, 'mum, may I have one of those?' in the background.

"Boom bow, strike a pose!" Pharos called excitedly. "Wow! I've never been to one of these before. You call these festivals, do you not?" he asked, lingering around Minato's shoulder like a youkai.

"Mmhm," he answered quietly.

Traditional shrine manners were carried out: cleansing with water (Minato elected to pour it over his bandages), offerings, bowing…

Gentle chimes resonated with the rustling of leaves and the scent of summer wind. Closing his eyes, Minato realised he was at a loss as to what to pray for.

How long would this god wait for him? He doubted that if he didn't think of it, that the god would answer inaudible prayers. He'd removed his mask, feeling conscious of some unknown stares he thought were fixated upon him. Conscious of the grip no longer on his hand.

What did he want?

Deep breath, deep breath.

After, the two of them headed back towards the stalls in fragile silence.

Pharos hummed a tune. It sounded like a certain Jeopardy song.

Minato frowned. "Boo."

She jumped a little. "Holy crap…" Sachiko stared at him, who'd now donned the kitsune mask. What the hell kind of expression did he have behind that?

"S-Sorry," he spluttered, taking the mask off. "It was just kind of q-quiet so…"

Sachiko blinked at his meek apology. "No, I get it…" She sighed softly, making him flinch. Exasperation? Exhaustion? What was that sigh? "Well, there's at least one reason why that mask suits you now."

As he blinked in confusion, the grip she held grew just a little tighter and she rubbed the centre of his palm. Minato wished he could explain why he felt a little calmer, but immediately had that thought dashed as he felt Sachiko pressing into his arm with hers. He spluttered.

She laughed. "Come on. Where to?" Minato suppressed a whine as he realised very quickly that he had no idea what he wanted to do next. Wasn't that just the question of the day? Sachiko chuckled, shaking her head. "Okay, okay, I'll choose."

Minato breathed out a sigh of relief. "Sorry…" he murmured.

When they came to a ball drawing game, he ended up picking out a prize. The both of them were definitely surprised, as was the vendor. Minato was given a Jack Frost Doll. Where did these things even come from? He gave it to her. "You don't want it?" she asked.

"Games aren't really my thing."

Huh. Sachiko wouldn't have pegged that on her own. "Why's that?"

He just shrugged. "I just don't find a lot of them fun. I ended up playing a lot of instruments instead," Minato spoke quietly.

The two of them moved towards the bench near the jungle gym. "Like?"

"Hm… Piano, bass, drums… I can sing a bit, but I u-usually mess up the words." Sitting down there, he smiled ever so slightly. "My favourite is the electric guitar though. Have I told you about how I'm a huge metal head?"

"I don't believe so." Sachiko didn't remember Minato ever talking this much about something that he liked. You learned something new everything, she supposed. "Which came first: the metal or the guitar?"

Minato chuckled nervously. Perhaps he'd started to realise that fact. "Uh… I heard this song called… 'Remember Tomorrow' by Iron Maiden? I didn't know what they were saying but after that I wanted to learn how to play guitar. They're kinda my favourite band."

She nodded. "I believe I'll have to look up their music later today. And sometime, you'll have to show me your skills."

"Maybe… I mean I dunno… The dorm policies and stuff…" he trailed off.

"Mm. But we can figure it out later," Sachiko reassured. She squeezed his hand and leaned lightly on his shoulder, asking a silent request. Truthfully, she felt uneasy still, but he'd reaffirmed something. He really shouldn't be a person to be afraid of.

Leaning back into the seat, she experimented with her weight. Sachiko was now aware of his growing warmth and the light, minty notes about him. Oddly comforting, tainted by a certain foreboding. "Hey… I wanted to ask something…" she murmured.

He gave a low hum in response.

"What's up with those bandages you're wearing?" Sachiko asked.

His blood ran cold. How could he possibly explain that? The pit in his stomach was well and truly formed. "Just Shadows."

The hesitation gave it away. She frowned.

Goddammit! Why did she care?! How could he think of it the way he did now? His pulse raced as he thought of any other way to respond. He didn't often lie straight up to get people away from him—he did it by acting as if he didn't care and acting annoyed at them.

But she knew that he did.

Breaths grew more desperate. "Minato…"

"I don't want to say," he replied weakly.

To be responsible for his greatest happiness and his greatest sadness—a persisting sadness that hit harder against his chest; led him to inflict pain on himself to forget.

Thinking it through, she knew that he probably wouldn't divulge the 'why' behind it all. Sachiko sighed deeply. Dammit, she wanted to know! "Sorry. Maybe later," he murmured.

"You better. Don't do that again. You get hurt enough from fighting the Shadows and everything else." She bit her lip, thinking of him in his cast.

He'd laid off the cutting before. For a while. "I won't." He could do it for longer, right?

She closed her eyes, nearly falling asleep on his shoulder. "Okay."

…

The summer was delirious.

The Japanese ones were the kind you needed a bit of air conditioning to survive in, otherwise the sun just beat the sweat out of you. "Man, it's scorching how out here," Junpei muttered to himself, checking his phone. He grimaced at the featured date. "Shoot, it's already the 20th. Summer break's almost over… Too bad there's nothin' to do."

He sighed to himself and caught a glimpse. A glimpse of a doll-like girl sitting near some flowers, with blood red hair and contrasting pale skin, mirage clothing, drawing something of equally mysterious nature. The gothic style she wore was far from unnoticeable.

Something about her drew him closer.

"Get out of my way. I can't see… Move."

Harsh. "Uh… Sorry." Junpei moved to one side.

"What do you want?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Uh, nothing. My bad." It probably wouldn't be tactful to just say that she stood out. Walking to just beyond earshot, he muttered, "Dude, what's with that outfit…? It's like almost thirty degrees. And what the hell is she drawing…? Man, I'll never understand art. Oh, well…" To aircon.

* * *

**Edited: 04/02/16**

**AN: Same rules: Expect things to go wrong; watch out for Sachiko and Minato; and watch out for Junpei and Chidori. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	33. You're Feather Swan!

How often was it that a seventeen year old guy went to the coffee shop to buy hot chocolate?

Minato still felt like a bit of a child. He'd never had the stomach for coffee, even though a long black's colour and taste matched his disposition—dark and bitter. Like his soul. He snorted to himself. Plus ten edge points.

He felt like he needed to unwind a little bit after things had gone down at the dorm.

A little moustache of milk formed above his upper lip.

Minato recalled that someone told him to drink milk so he'd get taller. He recently told that to Ken as well, who said that he'd been drinking a lot of it, even though he didn't like it.

Ikutsuki had told everyone in a meeting that Ken was joining their team as a member of SEES. Even so, the general outcry among the newer members was starting to drown in the relaxing café atmosphere.

It could only be complete with rain.

Of course, many objected because Ken was most obviously a child, or at least, younger than all of the current members of SEES, Koromaru and Aigis notwithstanding. Minato wished that he could feel anything more than just some passing concern at Ken's apparent resolve to join them.

Actually, he was leaning towards encouraging Ken more than discouraging him and telling him to think about it some more. Let an eleven or twelve year old kid start their daily doses of angst early, you know?

Those edge points were going up fast these past few days.

Minato promised already that he'd come clean for Sachiko so to compensate, he'd been making a lot more 'edgy' comments from the sidelines.

If his team mates and classmates were getting annoyed at it, he certainly wasn't noticing, especially since it was normally Aigis, Akihiko and Koromaru that he took along.

He realised that he was really favouring those three. Sure, he'd taken along Ken for a test run since then to get some practice with his spear and with summoning his oddly shaped Persona, Nemesis, but he'd been making less of an effort to include members that he knew he didn't like as much.

It was irresponsible on his part. Maybe he could do something about it.

Speaking of oddly shaped, Nemesis kinda looked like a buzz saw and Ken, while having a rather weak attack, was quite agile and surprisingly enough, _lucky_. Nemesis' latter forms of offense depended on managing to trap the opposing Shadows with Hama-based skills.

Minato had avoided using his Shadows as much as possible, mostly because he hadn't explained why he was different to the others to Ken yet. Maybe he could do that the next day, when he came back from school.

…

Truthfully, Minato still felt like he was in a daze as he returned. The odd calmness he felt as he drifted through the day managed to last from the previous night.

He was surprised himself that he didn't forget what he promised to himself the night before. He was even more surprised because he was going to commit to this course of action.

"…Hello!" Ken called rather enthusiastically as Minato walked in. Ah, but the mood didn't last for long. "Have you noticed? Those people—'The Lost'… They've been increasing… I wish there was something I could do."

Minato rubbed the back of his head. Maybe it was just because he was a child, but Minato hadn't gone out of his way to make a bad impression of himself for the kid. "We should soon," he said, barely loud enough to hear.

Ken was miles more confident when talking to Akihiko, since he idolised the way that he fought in boxing matches so skilfully, and had been on a long winning streak since he started participating in tournaments. It went something like, 'You haven't lost a match yet!'

That was what he said, right? He couldn't remember completely.

"Yeah." The stoic, distant Minato, was much harder to talk to, and that was taking Junpei's apparent enthusiasm around the boy into consideration. It was hard for him to get a word in. "Uh, is there something that you wanted to talk about, Arisato-senpai?"

"It's just Minato," he replied almost immediately, making Ken's cheeks flush.

"…S-Sorry. I just thought…" Minato rubbed the back of his head. "You didn't have too much trouble dealing with the Shadows at Tartarus, did you?"

Ken frowned a little. "Of course. It wasn't difficult, especially with Aigis-san and Akihiko-senpai helping," he replied.

Minato inclined his head. "That's good." He hummed in thought. "It's just I figured… I should tell you why I didn't help that much. I just ordered everyone around, didn't I?"

He nodded slowly, but let Minato continue after saying, "I was wondering why you were doing that. I thought it was just so I could get used to working in that team dynamic, but now that I think about it, Minato-senpai, you mostly took on opponents using hand-to-hand combat, didn't you?"

The kid caught on quickly. "Well, what you said is partially true." Minato was a little impressed by Ken's precociousness, although he would understand if it got a bit annoying later on. For the most part, he seemed to have Junpei stumped on some subjects (although Minato hesitated to call it an achievement considering his already lacklustre mental capacity) and at times, even surprised Yukari and Fuuka.

"I have two powers which are unique to me: one of them is Persona related, but I…" Minato searched for his words. "I don't like using Personas that much."

Ken's eyes widened. "If you don't use Personas, then how do you fight them?"

"The thing is…" Minato bit his lip. He hoped that Ken would have a better response to this. It certainly seemed that Koromaru didn't care, anyways. "I use Shadows to help me fight."

The familiar mix of confusion, fear and mistrust flickered in Ken's eyes.

"I don't think it would've been a good idea… just… using them on the first night, I guess," Minato tried to explain. Ken frowned as he processed the information.

"But if you're saying that, Minato-senpai… Even if those reasons are true…" Ken paused. "If you didn't want to show it to me first even though it seems to be your main means of attack… The others don't approve of you using that power?" His gears were turning quickly. He had to trust his senpai, who was now telling him about this ability and the reasons why he hadn't used them, but Ken couldn't exactly help the unease that was forming in his chest.

After all, wasn't it those Shadows that killed his mother?

Minato sighed. "It's something I just want to bury at this point…" Ken seemed to gather that perhaps this had been happening for a while, but no-one could stop him from using Shadows when they might've been of some use. "My Shadows won't attack you unless I say so, just like a Persona."

Just like a Persona?

Those words stuck out for some reason. Comparing what appeared to be untamed, violent entities that certainly had every enmity for humans, let alone Persona users, to, the so familiar power of Persona and all the euphoria that accompanied it—Ken found it a bit odd.

"…I have no choice but to trust you, Minato-senpai," Ken spoke aloud, "And… I guess I will." Minato raised an eyebrow. "I don't have a reason to mistrust you yet," he reasoned.

He chuckled. "Smart."

"And besides," Minato raised an eyebrow, "Koromaru-san seems to trust you quite a bit still, even though you use the Shadows."

He laughed a little. "Trusting the dog, huh?"

Koromaru ran over to join the two of them, wagging his tail excitedly. "Mmhm. I think he wants to go on a walk," Ken said with a laugh, giving him a pat on the head. Koromaru gave some more excited whines, before nuzzling Minato's leg.

Minato was hesitant to suggest walking together, partially because he didn't exactly feel energetic enough to want to and partially because he wasn't used to going with another person when he walked with Koromaru. He gripped his phone in his pocket. In fact…

"Wanna come with me?"

Ken smiled slightly as he hopped off the couch. "Uh…" It seemed he was surprised that his normally quiet senpai was the one to suggest. "Okay Minato-senpai. Let's go then!"

Undoubtedly, after some minutes of walking, Koromaru would head towards the shrine at a steady pace.

Minato and Ken followed the shiba-inu together, the former silently sending a text to a certain detective to meet at Naganaki shrine. "Um… Ken-kun, you seem to be really interested in Akihiko-senpai and his boxing. Why's that?"

"Eh? Um…" Ken thought for a moment. "W-Well, Akihiko-senpai's winning streak has… made him really popular even at my school… He's a really skilled fighter and I've heard he manages to keep that up while he's studying…"

He stifled a chuckle at Ken's stuttering. It was like he was trying to suppress his own excitement at his senpai's coolness, at least, battle-wise, but Minato decided not to press it. "Is that so?" he thought aloud. "Hm, alright. I guess he's… cool, because of that?"

"C-Cool?" Ken tried to laugh it off. "N-No, he just reminds me of a sen-TV series protagonist w-who, along with his team, fights evil and t-they never lose. K-Kinda like… Akihiko-senpai?"

Minato really couldn't suppress his laugh that time. "Phoenix Ranger Featherman R?" He smiled slightly. He'd seen a few episodes of it when he was relaxing in the lobby on Sundays. "I didn't think you would be a sentai fan."

"I-I'm not! It's really childish and…" Ken shook his head as he trailed off.

"I watch a bit of it. It's not really my thing though." Minato rubbed the back of his head.

"Y-Yeah, you see? I bet that no-one in the dorm really watches that kind of stuff, right?"

"Junpei probably does."

"He doesn't count." Ouch. Minato couldn't help but chuckle at Ken's impression of the capped teen.

He thought for a moment. "I don't really watch Phoenix Ranger, but I do like watching Bakugan, Yugioh-5Ds, Dragonball…" Minato said, rattling off names of some popular anime that Ken would probably recognise. He was a bit of a K-ON fan. Not that he'd say that he was into slice of life genre. Ever. Especially one full of moe girls. He was low enough on manliness points already.

Ken's eyes widened. "I-I never thought Minato-senpai would watch those kinds of things either…" he mumbled.

It seemed he was able to break the ice a bit. "Well, it's fine to watch that stuff. Doesn't mean you aren't mature," Minato said, barely above whispers.

Koromaru gave some happy barks as well, seeming to agree with Minato's assessment. "You too?" Ken rubbed the back of his head as the three of them continued to the shrine.

It took a few minutes more until they finally reached the shrine and Ken went off to play with the dog around the jungle gym. Minato reached the bench that Sachiko and he sat on during the summer festival, unbothered by the girl waiting near it.

"Why did you want me to come?" Sachiko asked with folded arms.

Minato's lips upturned ever so slightly. "I haven't…" He chewed his lip as he thought of what he meant to say, "_talked_ to you for a while now, since you were… really worried about me."

Her eyes widened as she registered his thought. "Are… you sure?" They shuttered as Sachiko thought about what her Shadow might say.

If there was anything that Minato knew, it was that Shadows changed, and evolved, and devolved, just like Personas could grow in power. Finding those changes and accepting them wasn't always easy.

And Sachiko, having her inner, although darker feelings revealed to Minato, was hesitant to want to try it again. Her situation with her family hadn't changed much, although her mother had become a little more accepting of her.

Her situation with Minato, however, had.

It had taken a truly unexpected turn.

Koromaru barked when he saw Sachiko, seemingly remembering her from a long time ago—wasn't it that time that blue hair was showing the girl in a blue dress the treasures of the shrine? He could recognise her because of the light, lavender fragrance, tainted with iron, which came from the girl.

"Koromaru-san?" Ken of course, caught up with Koromaru as he approached Sachiko. He immediately straightened when he saw another senior with Minato—she oozed a strange air of calm assurance and authority.

It reminded him of Feather Swan, the blue member of the rangers—their tactician.

"What do you mean I'm like Feather Swan?" Sachiko rubbed the back of her head. It seemed Ken had said his thought aloud. "Um… I guess I'm kinda smart but…"

Minato _really_ couldn't help but laugh, making Ken splutter a sort of cobbled together explanation to answer Sachiko. "I dunno. I think Sachiko's more of a Magical Detective Loveline than Feather Swan," he said, making Sachiko flush with embarrassment.

"What do you mean?! I-I'm not into magical girl anime…" she exclaimed.

And both of them were blushing. Minato rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I just said that because my friend, Sachiko Kagami, is a detective."

"A-A detective?" Ken said with widened eyes. "Like… Detective C—" He stopped midsentence. His childish nature could not be revealed! Shounen was reviled! Sentai was childish! Tengen Toppa Guren Lagann was cool _and_ stupid!

Something like that?

"Like Detective Conan, yeah," Minato agreed.

"…Close enough," Sachiko said, running her hand through her hair.

"…'Case Closed', you mean?"

She punched Minato's shoulder, making him rub the spot in mock pain. "S-Still… that's pretty cool, um… Kagami-senpai, i-if that's really true."

"It's just Sachiko," she muttered, resisting giving Minato a deadpan. "But it is true, I suppose."

Koromaru seemed to bark in agreement, as if to tell them that she most definitely wasn't lying. "Wow… what kind of cases do you solve?"

Thus, Minato and Koromaru watched the two of them discuss Sachiko's missing cat cases, thefts and missing persons. He couldn't suppress a smile as Sachiko got more and more into telling Ken about all the things she'd done that year.

"W-What are you smirking at?"

Minato shrugged. "I told you. Detectives are cool."

* * *

**AN: F-Filler? I'm actually really nervous since I haven't written Whispers in a very long time. I hope it's okay? I'm just getting back into the swing of things... Haha... Happy new year and hope you enjoyed it? Yeah. I apologise for all the anime references this chapter. L-Later. :')**


	34. In the Blink of an Eye

A sigh.

Junpei thought to himself. "Man, this year's going fast. It's already second semester. Next year, I'll be a senior…"

The summer dragged on his shoulders. New arrivals from Aigis, Koromaru and Ken hadn't weighed on his mind as much as the heat did. At the beginning of the year, he never would have imagined that he could get into SEES with all the adventure, vigilante antics and heroism that he was getting.

But who was he kidding? When it came to Minato dramas, Junpei knew that even with his usually confident and optimistic outlook, he wasn't filling a niche in the group, especially since Minato had been leaving out many of the members when it came to Tartarus explorations.

He was of course leader, Fuuka was their navigator, no-one could say anything bad about Koromaru, Mitsuru was of course keeping the team together, was a powerful as hell spell caster and was unofficial leader, even over Minato, Yukari was a more than reliable healer, Akihiko, with his boxing skill and practiced fighting style could fill in any kind of offense they needed, Ken was quick and even though he was just a kid, was a jack of all trades offensive and healing member and Aigis… She was more than a force to be reckoned with, especially when she chose to use Orgia mode.

He shook his head. Probably just needed to unwind a little bit. "Huh? That girl…"

It was that redhead, white and striking, like a China doll.

His legs, without protest, led him over to her. "You again?" she intoned.

"Uh, w-well... I mean, I'm surprised you remember me." Junpei laughed a little.

The girl narrowed her gaze and after a moment she said, although heavily, "Same here."

"Y-You do kinda stand out in that dress." She paid no mind to his statement and continued drawing. "So… what are you drawing?" Junpei asked. Since his last meeting with her, he'd only held a brief conversation with her, he recalled.

"Nothing. Why?"

The words cut through his intentions. She likely had no plans to ever show him her fleeting creations. "Uh, no reason… I was just thinking, it must be nice to have something you're really into." What was he into? Video games and doujins? It seemed more pitiful the more he thought about it.

She paused. "It's no big deal… I only draw because I like to." The soft scratches of her pencil resumed.

What was it like to have something that you were really passionate about? Junpei hid his grimace. "Oh yeah?" It was getting hotter by the minute. How could she stand the heat in her dress? "Still, I'd like to see it when you're done."

As Junpei left the scene, the girl bored her gaze into the back of his head, thoughts and ideas humming in her mind.

He sighed as he continued to Book-On. Air conditioning, manga and the opportunity to take a nap undisturbed didn't sound too bad.

The pebble he kicked skittered across the floor. Minato came back to mind. Right. He wasn't anything. Junpei clenched his fists. There was a saying that 'any publicity is good publicity'. He couldn't feel it to be truer than in Minato's case now.

Although he'd managed to earn the utter distrust of SEES, with a few exceptions, he was still able to maintain his position as leader because well… It wasn't anyone else's fault that he seemed to be most up to the task.

Underneath everything that misfortune had thrown at him so far, he somehow managed to keep calm and lead them through the field with a combination of intelligence and skill honed over prior years of experience. Sure, he didn't have a distinct fighting style like Akihiko-senpai or Mitsuru-senpai, but… the compendium he had and his reflexes managed to get him through a lot of things, fighting style or no.

Junpei knew that he could never be like Minato. It was near impossible. No-one had the experience or skillset that he offered. Someone who could use Personas, switch between a selection of different ones, continually get stronger ones and use strong Shadows at the same time? That didn't happen.

Not normally, anyways.

He recognised the feeling and the hate that he felt towards Minato because Junpei felt inferior to him. The transfer student, that despite never wishing to garner the attention that he did, sometimes had to push past an adoring or disapproving entourage, when Junpei just had to earn his with a couple of cheap laughs and perverted jokes.

The chance of becoming something more than that, squandered because of Minato.

Junpei's care towards someone he hadn't even met before contrasted with the months of anger towards Minato. They'd certainly had their spats.

So, should he stop?

He was reasonably nice when he wanted to be. Junpei hadn't been blind to how buddy-buddy he was becoming with Ken, recommending him all kinds of manga, TV and anime series when he came back from school.

Sometimes, he'd talk briefly with Fuuka-chan and they never seemed to be at each other's throats. Not that it was really possible to get overly angry at the girl. Junpei couldn't, at least.

Minato was even non-threatening around Yukari, having somehow earned a small, but mutual trust.

And Koromaru? Well, everyone got along with Koromaru.

Ever since a month ago, he'd found a real reason to hate Minato.

Sort of.

He was charmed, at least, and he destroyed everyone else despite their efforts to stand against his power.

No. Junpei knew who he should've been angry at.

Was it too late to be forgiven? Could he bring himself to be forgiven?

His fists clenched ever tighter in his pockets as he walked to Book-On.

…

"Hey, Fuuka-san."

She could recognise that soft, almost whisper from a mile away now. Okay, maybe not literally with his volume, but Minato had been talking to her more often. Sometimes he even looked like he had a vague half-smile, but that was just on occasion in the summer holidays. "Yes, Minato-kun?"

Fuuka had even gotten used to talking to him that really, he was stammering more than she used to. She sighed inwardly. It was an uncomfortable amount of stammering. Despite that, he was almost always straight to the point. "Everyone's good to go to Tartarus today, right?"

"Mmhm. Everyone's well. But there might be a few more accidents than usual, so you'll have to be careful," she warned.

He nodded before leaving the building.

Just like then. "Wonder where he's going after saying that we're going to Tartarus," Yukari wondered aloud.

"Do you remember Sachiko-san?" Fuuka asked.

She thought for a moment. Oh. It was that time when that lavender-haired girl was telling them about where Minato had gone when he was truanting for the day. She and Junpei were getting riled up about it while they were in the hallway, causing a fuss. "Yeah, a little bit," she replied.

Fuuka's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she thought. "W-Well, I'm not entirely sure, but Minato seems to be spending a lot of time with her lately. I think… yeah, about the time of the summer festival, he was fussing about with his clothes and later, he came back with a kitsune mask and he looked really happy," she tried to explain.

Her eyes widened. "Really? Happy? I dunno about you Fuuka-chan, but… He's not really the happy type, isn't he?" Yukari asked. "He's usually anything _but_ happy, you know?"

"I know… But he has been smiling a lot more. I don't think he's done that a lot before," she replied, now very much conscious of how much work she _wasn't_ doing on her laptop. Ah well.

Some many minutes later, Junpei hobbled back in from the heat, adjusting his cap. "Oh, how was your day, Junpei-kun?" Fuuka asked.

"Uh, fine, I guess." His head was still in a whirl. Was it thinking about his choices, the girl or the nap? Probably a combination of all three.

Yukari raised an eyebrow. "What's up with you? You seem a little more out of it than usual."

He frowned, giving her narrowed eyes. Sigh. "Not the time." Her eyes widened. It was rare to see Junpei so serious, especially when she couldn't take her teasing. "Look it's just… where's Minato?"

Fuuka pursed her lips. "Um, he just went out. I think he should be back soon now…" Where was it that he went? It was probably Paulownia Mall, to gather some items and equipment.

Junpei suppressed his growl and slumped over onto one of the unoccupied couches. "Right…"

She let out a sigh. "Junpei, seriously, what's wrong? You don't look fine," Yukari said, letting more caring tones seep into her voice. Yes, she teased him for the reaction, but he was still a sort of begrudging friend. She'd known him for more than a year now.

"Look, I'll be fine. I just… need to talk to him," he replied, trying to bite back the mix of irritation and frustration rising up in the back of his throat like acid and bile.

"What about?" Fuuka asked warily. She had no desire for this to turn into a fight or argument. It had escalated that far once before and who knew if it would happen again?

Creaking, like a discordant anthem.

Minato swung the door open, holding onto a plastic bag that seemed to be full of bandages and medicinal supplies. Maybe there were some Traesto gems scattered about in the supplies he'd amassed for their Tartarus run that night.

He stood in the gaze of the larger than normal company like a deer in headlights.

Junpei stood, with Minato beginning to inch his way towards the stairwell. He wanted to ask a 'what' and why everyone was staring at him, making his stomach and heart run at a million miles a minute. Previously, at least content with how he'd been feeling for that week with no-one questioning what he was doing or why he'd felt so damn… content, he didn't want anybody to ruin the perhaps false sense of security that had partially lifted his burden.

Of SEES. Having no target for his anger. The fear and anger he felt at their mistrust.

"Minato, wait." Junpei's expression was stone.

The words awakened a hair trigger. No, if he was going to just shout at him for how jealous he was and how great his power was and how he wanted to take his place, he wanted no part of it. He was ready to bolt, adrenaline pumping, humming under the surface of his skin through his veins.

"Junpei…" Yukari bit her lip and Fuuka found words were able to escape hers to prevent whatever might happen from escalating any further.

"I think… I think it's time to settle things." Minato clenched his teeth. "Or at least… try and start. Maybe. I guess…" Junpei's mind raced as he thought of _anything_ more comforting to say than whatever train wreck he'd started off with. "I-I've been a dick to you. Maybe—no, who am I kidding… Definitely, unfairly. And uh… that isn't right."

The thoughts of that afternoon settled in the pit of his stomach, making it churn as the remaining hate he felt was thrown against its lining. "W-Why."

"Why? Because… I know it! I've realised it. I hate you just because you're better than me. I'm jealous of all that shit that you can do, and that you're leader. And it's been getting to me."

His question sounded nothing like one. Minato felt conflict simmering under the surface. He could forgive him. He sounded sincere. But something at the back of his head told him: no. It was a lie. He was probably just doing it because someone told him to apologise. He didn't mean it.

They could not trust each other.

Sudden, the rush for someone to hold on to and tell him what was right and wrong was so strong. What was he thinking? How could he know that he was genuine?

Minato was silent as he thought, his eyes darting about the room as he felt the stares, the oh-so expectant stares piercing and stabbing into him, like knives. Knives. The knives. Heat rose in his head. "R-Really." His voice came out with a lot less strength than he'd intended and without the intonation too.

"Y-Yeah, really!" Junpei never even wanted to check with Yukari or Fuuka, who looked on the situation, dumbfounded.

How elaborate could his lie get? His Personas were shouting at him, especially the one of Sati, telling him that everything Junpei spoke right now was truer than truth itself. Minato's grip on the bag softened. Think, rationally. Just like she always managed to do. "Y-You're… sorry? Really?"

Junpei gulped. How could he still be like that? He was throwing every bit of feeling that he had at him. "Yeah. Minato, I'm sorry for being a dick to you. And I'm sorry that I thought that you were a completely bad guy. I'm… You're not really like that. I just…" He wanted something to fight for. Maybe he wouldn't realise just what for. He wanted to be the best, to fit in, to be recognised for what he and his effort could achieve.

Minato furrowed his brow as he concentrated. Of course, he felt the familiar sensations of Io and Lucia's presence, guarding Yukari and Fuuka respectively, like a solid brick wall to his whispers and probing. But Junpei, still having Hermes' presence, felt less guarded. Like he and his Persona were in complete synchronisation. Yes, protecting. But empowering. It was odd. He'd never felt anything like this.

"Junpei, I want to say that I forgive you, just like that," Minato finally said, stumbling and pausing with every second or third word.

He chewed on his lip. Was he serious?!

"So…" He frowned as he formulated a further response. "I will… accept your apology."

Tension fluttered in Junpei's chest.

"B-But… you'll have to earn your keep on the team again. If you act up again…" Minato's eyebrows knitted together, and his grey gaze stuck to Junpei, promising that he'd never bring him to another Tartarus expedition if he could damn well help it.

"…Got it. I'll show you what I can do," he said, the beginnings of a grin making its way onto his face.

Minato nodded, however hesitantly as he ascended to his room, his mind and feelings in a whirl. The dark voice he heard had subsided. It was just his common sense pulling through.

His door closed quietly behind him and he took out the notepad kept on his desk, intending to have a little session with Arcana Justice.

He knew Junpei at least well enough that whatever he said… he probably meant it. Minato had chosen to give him the benefit of the doubt. It was probably good enough payback after the things that he'd done to him before.

Recollection of that Saturday in the alley, and the fight he'd gotten into with him and Akihiko flickered at the edge of his memory.

Yeah. Best he could do was let him prove what he'd said.

…

Junpei fell back with relief onto the back of the sofa. "D-Dude…"

"Junpei… I didn't think you'd do that." He shot Yukari a glare as if saying, 'as if doing it in front of you two made it any easier!' She just smiled slightly. "No, no, I think it's… I think it's awfully mature of you. What made you change your mind?"

His eyes shuttered as he saw that Yukari meant no harm. He was probably getting too paranoid after all of that thought. Minato was too hard to figure out sometimes and talking to him felt like there was a dud grenade that could engulf everyone in the blast radius, if it was nudged too hard in the wrong direction.

"I guess maybe it was because of that girl I met?" he mumbled to himself, not loud enough for the two girls to hear. There was something about her. "I-It was probably just the heat making uh… the thoughts come to mind, uh, you know?" He struggled to think of a better excuse than that.

"W-Well, Junpei-kun, I'm really glad that you two might be able to patch things up a little… I just hope Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai feel the same way," Fuuka said with a bout of nervous laughter.

The other two laughed along as well. How could they possibly fix anything to do with Mitsuru?

Akihiko was doable; after all, Minato seemed to tolerate him and was allowing him along on the Tartarus explorations. He was pretty selective about his members now. Maybe he could spread it to the rest of the team now.

Maybe they could really work together?

…

"Have you noticed that there are more Lost hanging around?"

Kishimaru sighed, watching his breath turn to mist in the cold of the Dark Hour.

His other team members talked in the background. There was almost no chance of them being attacked by Shadows thanks to their abilities. Even if there was a Shadow which they weren't taming coming to attack them, the ones that were would listen to their commands easily.

"Yeah! They're everywhere! I thought their numbers were supposed to go down when those big, funny Shadows were killed." She looked around at the ground. "Well, aren't they? I thought so. I'm not pegging this wrong, am I? Am I?"

"Yoko, you're fine." The tall, dark teen gave a sigh. He wasn't used to dealing with Yoko, despite all the months he'd spent with the group so far.

Yoko looked at each of them, demanding an explanation. "What if… they're not actually killing them?" the girl with lavender highlights spoke aloud. "Remember that other Shadow Whisperer. You said his name was Minato Arisato, right, Kishimaru?"

He turned towards Shina. "Yeah. If I'm right, Takaya's kinda keen on having Minato join us. Said there was something about him which made him feel different."

"What, you mean he doesn't feel dead inside because of them meeting?!" Yoko exclaimed.

Hakori sighed once again. "You sound like you're shipping them together or something."

"Am not!"

Shina couldn't help but laugh a little, but Yoko just rolled her eyes. Hakori shrugged and turned to Kishimaru. "Are we going to try persuading him?"

He kicked the wall with the back of his heel. "Tomorrow. They're going to Tartarus tonight."

…

Sachiko almost tried to let out the breath which she didn't remember she was holding in and scooted from the area as fast as she could without alerting those she was listening to.

They were targeting Minato, huh?

Her fists tightened, her gloves clutching at her tensed skin.

She'd have to warn him as soon as possible. Sure, the people at SEES mostly seemed like a bunch of blockheads the last time she spoke to them, but they weren't inherently bad—just bad at dealing with Minato. "Just stay safe, you dork…" Sachiko hoped to herself.

…

"Okay then…" Minato muttered to himself as Akihiko sidestepped a Ziodyne.

Sweat trickled down his temple. It could've been worse; he decided to bring Mitsuru along and his team consisted of Akihiko, Mitsuru and Junpei, since the latter was eager to prove himself. He wasn't so much of a dick to disregard what he himself said earlier.

Mitsuru was… doing pretty well, knocking them down with some Bufula attacks whenever she was given the chance.

He decided to test out his newest ally.

"Vile Assault that sorry son of a bitch!" he called in whispers. A metallic, winged blur slammed into the downed Arcane Turret, creating the most satisfying grinding noises as his Shadow mercilessly dug into and filled it with lead, despite its apparent resistance towards Piercing attacks. And every other type of Physical attack category.

Almost as soon as it was done, it was recalled to his notepad, not wanting the others to see or recognise just whom he'd used to attack their enemy.

"Not bad, Masashi," Minato whispered with a satisfied grin as the now wrecked Arcane Turret dissolved into ichor.

Arcana Justice cackled wildly. "These weak-ass suckers need more lead in them!"

* * *

**AN: Oh my gosh guys, thanks for the support! I'm so glad that the same people from before are back and reading, and a big merry hello to any new readers! **

**I decided to include as much hi-jinx with the supporting characters as I could for this chapter and even revealed the names of the baddie Shadow Whispers... and don't worry about Elizabeth; she'll make an appearance next chapter along with the bad Shadow Whisperers, which will be the lead-up to the Hermit battle (and Shinjiro's joining SEES so yay!). :D**

**Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed the chapter and later!**


	35. Alternate Current

Smirking.

It wasn't an out of place occurrence for Minato. There were more times that he felt cocky or confident than he felt really happy. "Masashi-san, I don't _really_ want to keep all of you in this notepad. I'm sure that you and maybe the others might feel happier if I actually temporarily unleashed you in battle."

"Well, I certainly wouldn't mind. I don't think the others are that keen," he replied in whispers, as usual.

He hadn't thought of commanding the full moon Shadows which they'd been defending Iwatodai from until he encountered Arcana Justice. So of course, when he'd thought of it, he _had_ to at least try persuading it—no, him—to help fight other Shadows. "Which ones might want to fight with me?"

Masashi scoffed. "You say 'with', but you really mean 'for', don't you?" Minato knew differently, but waited for him to continue before saying anything. "I'm quite sure that the Empress couldn't give a shit about you. She doesn't give a shit about anyone, actually.

"And well, both the Hierophant and Lovers Arcana are in here too," he noted. "Otherwise, the rest… you've killed them, haven't you?"

Minato flinched at the mention of the Lovers Arcana. He wasn't using that piece of shit if he could help it. "I guess I could tolerate the Hierophant, but Arcana Lovers won't see a wink of use," he replied easily, grabbing a tissue from nearby and using it to soak up some of the blood dribbling from his lips.

"Oh yeah, I figured. Arcana Lovers said that the last time they messed with you, you absolutely tried tearing it and the place it was in, to shreds," Masashi said smugly. "Arcana Chariot probably won't mind, since they love teaming up with me. But otherwise, those are your choices."

He nodded to himself. "You, Chariot and Hierophant then."

Masashi grunted in acknowledgement. A surge of power flowed through Minato, mad and erratic through his veins. It built in pressure, waiting to burst from the seams of his skin, bubbling dangerously beneath it.

It was far from unpleasant.

His muscles were charged with an antipode of energy and fatigue. "Masashi. I mean what I said."

"What do you mean?" He took on a tone of contempt, as if he couldn't be wrong.

Minato breathed out as the high faded, wondering just what it meant. It felt strangely similar to the energy he felt when he was spending time with Sachiko, or the brief times that SEES seemed to agree on something. And when he was hanging out with Fuuka, he felt a faint trickle of that sensation too.

It was almost the same—more evident, stronger and pleasant.

He smiled slightly. "You're fighting with me. This isn't slavery. I have my most powerful Shadows with names and personalities because they agreed to fight with me and protect me out of their own free will," Minato reasoned as he thought about Kishimaru and Sho. They were probably his closest Shadows and the ones he used most often.

"I'm flattered, Minato-kun," Kishimaru spoke from the compendium.

"Well duh. Why wouldn't I help you?" Sho laughed. Minato smiled slightly at his Shadow companions.

"Masashi, I have faith that we can grow strong together. You were frustrated that you lost to me earlier, right?" He tried hiding a scoff at his statement. It didn't work. "So I gave you an opportunity for you to help me and get stronger in the process. I didn't make you agree."

Arcana Justice fell silent for a few moments. "I suppose," he paused with a sigh. "I don't know. I feel… close to you, for some reason. I'm drawn to you, despite what animosity I… feel. I don't even know why it's possible for me to feel. My kind on the full moons… we aren't supposed to be like this. I don't understand it myself."

Minato shrugged. "Well, we can find out together, for as long as you feel like you want to fight with me. Just don't turn on me in the middle of a fight or something. We have designated appointments and talking times around here."

Again, he scoffed, but Masashi did feel like he was a bit closer to Minato. Was it the talk, or was it that other feeling he got from him?

…

There had been a few swaps in terms of the exploration team. Ever since that discussion he had with Masashi, he'd been feeling oddly energised—enough that he could get to the Arcane Turrets without too much trouble. And that was quite a few floors up.

His team of course, was Akihiko, Mitsuru and Junpei.

He didn't want to bring along Mitsuru, but since everyone else was starting to get tired as they were traversing the floors… well, they needed a healer. Ken wasn't as powerful and Yukari was tired.

The Shadows they were to fight next turned to face their targets with the tell-tale grinding of gears. Turrets were fixed on the four of them. "So, what's the strats, leader?" Junpei asked, keeping up his grin. Minato turned out, was one to make good on his promises and the leader himself hadn't been having too many problems with him either. It was a win-win for the both of them in that respect.

"First, try surrounding them so they can't get us all at the same time. Then, we'll chip away at one of them at a time with whatever weakness or weaknesses they might have," Minato said, pausing momentarily as he gathered his words. The strategy came easy. The words… not so.

He didn't have to tell Fuuka to record their resistances and weaknesses since it was a norm for pretty much every battle.

Minato did want to try something a little different for him, however. He couldn't help but smirk with the slightest anticipation.

The Arcane Turrets swivelled around to face the team now attempting to surround the three of them. Blasts rung through the clearing in enthusiastic echoes. "Getting smarter, huh?" Akihiko grinned, beginning to feel the rush of battle in his veins.

Why would anyone just let their assailants surround and trap them in the first place anyways?

"About time!" Junpei halted just as a shell punched past him into the wall with a 'bang!' Thankfully, he heard the Arcane Turret cocking one of its bullets before.

Mitsuru exclaimed, "Iori, we don't need a second Akihiko!" as she summoned Penthesilea to her aid. "Come!" Her mental commands reached her queenly Persona, striking her closest enemy with bolts of ice.

She tried not to let surprise overcome her expression as her targeted Arcane Turret was completely frozen over, knocked over on its side from the fearsome Bufula spell.

Minato chuckled. As much as he didn't want to bring his senpai along, he couldn't really deny how powerful her ice attributed attacks were. Dammit, he sounded just like her… Crumbling out a familiar page from his compendium formed his favourite Chariot Shadow. "Matarunda," he whispered.

Junpei had summoned Hermes, attempting an Agilao with it. The Arcane Turret swung into him with gale force. The flames glanced off the tank's annoying ass armour, forcing him to try blocking the strike with his sword. Small scratches appeared in the Shadow's armour, but already Junpei was feeling overwhelmed by its surprising strength.

Crushed by the Turret's weight, he could almost feel himself crunching with its force. "Guys!" Junpei gasped.

Breaking from his amusement as an amber aura turned dark around each of the tank Shadows, Minato heard his 'guys!' from across. "Sho, use Gigantic Fist and get that Shadow off him!"

"You got it!" Partially directed by Minato's will, the Brave Wheel rocketed into the Arcane Turret assailing Junpei and whammed it into the now dizzy Arcane Turret Mitsuru was dealing with. Sure, it wasn't seriously injured, but the two tanks collided with each other in a display of shock and slush.

Mitsuru blinked at the appearance of the new Shadow. "B-Bufula!" Both of them were frozen on top of each other in a totem-like manner, neither inclined to move as their weakness had once again been exploited.

Large sidesteps had been aiding Akihiko that battle. As a boxer, there wasn't much that even bladed gauntlets and gloves could do for him against the Arcane Turrets. He'd tried Zionga on his opponent, but it wasn't even phased by the magic.

"Junpei, you okay?" Minato asked as he dispelled Sho and summoned Orpheus. He muttered 'Diarama' and a healing aura began relieving some of his pain. "I need you to do a Marakukaja."

Struggling to full height, Junpei gave a "no problem," before a fortifying air charged through all four team members.

Good thing too.

Akihiko summoned Polydeuces. "Sonic Punch that bastard!" Syringe poised, Polydeuces charged its hand into the incoming Turret's attack. Perhaps as a result of the two earlier support spells, Polydeuces was able to stand against the Arcane Turret's attack long enough for Akihiko to get out of its trajectory.

Again, Minato summoned Sho, commanding it to use Kill Rush.

Once Polydeuces was dispelled, the Arcane Turret went spiralling into the wall it was intending to crush Akihiko behind. It wasn't quite damaged.

Not yet, at least.

The first hit slammed the Shadow into the next closest wall. The second hit knocked the tank into the ceiling.

"Bufula!" Mitsuru couldn't help but be awestruck at the show of strength (or Sho of strength?) that the Brave Wheel made. The ice pillar of tanks was completed—all three of them stacked on top of each other in a gently curving arc of frigid death.

Minato couldn't believe he was joking with himself. "Come back! Masashi, Vile Assault those sorry sons of a bitches!" he cried. The blood and hurt in his mouth was totally worth it.

Grasping his notepad, Arcana Justice blurred out and flew towards the wretched tower of Shadows. In one fell swoop only preceded by the sound of lead and bullets in a 'ratatat' fashion, Masashi charged and screwed into the bodies of the Arcane Turret totem, breaking it into a shower of icy ichor.

"Not bad, Masashi." Minato couldn't help but grin as Masashi was recalled to the notepad.

"Those weak-ass suckers needed more lead in them!"

He dropped to a knee as he finally felt the drain of his spiritual power. The three remaining members ran over to join him. "Hey dude, are you alright?" Junpei asked, kneeling in front of Minato. Mitsuru had given him a few more Diarama spells meantime.

Minato chuckled and looked up at the three of them. Why did he feel the way he did? "Y-Yeah. Just running low on SP," he strained to say.

Junpei clicked his tongue. "W-Well uh, don't push yourself, you know?" He glanced at his two seniors, grabbing Minato's hand and pulling him up.

"That was… quite impressive," Mitsuru admitted.

"Heh… I didn't really do that much except get crushed against a wall." Junpei sighed.

She turned towards Junpei. "On the contrary. Minato's Matarunda and your well timed Marakukaja helped Akihiko withstand the Shadows' heavy assault."

"Yeah. I don't like to admit it but… I was struggling a bit against that Shadow. It resisted all of the types of attacks I had."

He closed his eyes. "And… well, Mitsuru found their weakness and helped set up the final blow," Minato finished. He didn't really want to admit it. "It was actually a bit of a team effort," he mumbled.

"Sorry, can't hear ya, leader," Junpei teased.

Why did he start feeling camaraderie now? Minato sighed and repeated, "It was a team effort."

The question was: How long would it last?

…

They had to have ended their last Tartarus expedition of the summer with a 'bang', huh?

Junpei himself felt satisfied with the last day of summer. A few nights ago, they'd finished climbing up to the next barrier and Minato didn't really feel much of a need to go back there unless he needed to test out something with his Shadows.

Unbeknownst to him, Minato also didn't want to go back there since he'd pretty much completed Elizabeth's requests for then. Needless to say, he wasn't eager.

It seemed that the previously fragile team dynamic and their teamwork was on the mend, somehow.

He went back to the same spot. Maybe Junpei would meet her again and if she wasn't there, then tough luck. There was always the manga café to take refuge in.

"So, we meet again, huh?" It seemed luck was on his side that time.

Not looking up, the girl replied, "That's because you keep coming back."

Now was as good a time as any to introduce himself, right? "I'm Junpei. What's your name? Do you live around here?" She didn't respond and simply got up to leave after closing her sketchbook shut. "Hey wait! Your hand!"

She kept walking.

"I said, 'Wait'! You're hurt!" Junpei repeated. Glossy red blood trailed from the inside of her palm, and the rivulets coursed down into his sight.

"What is it with you?! Why don't you mind your own business?!" She clenched her teeth.

"But, you're bleeding, for cryin' out loud!" he implored, grabbing a hold of her hand. "C'mon, show me your hand. You need to put some pressure on it." The wound didn't look deep exactly, but it was definitely enough to draw quite a bit of blood.

The girl furrowed her brow as Junpei examined it. "Why are you in such a panic?"

"Are you crazy? Anyone would freak out over this. You need to see a doctor." She couldn't hide her flinch. "You want me to go with you?"

She just stayed silent awhile before snatching her hand back. "You're weird." There she went, walking again. "Chidori."

"Huh?" Junpei blinked, first at her, then at the remnants of the bleeding on his hand.

"That's my name. You asked, right, Junpei?" So she still paid attention although it seemed she was ignoring him, huh? "I'm almost done with the picture. I doubt you'll understand it, but if you want to see it, then you know where to find me."

Somehow, he didn't have the heart to follow her.

…

Leave it to the start of the second semester to kick start a new whirlwind of activity.

Ever since the first time she'd met Aigis, she'd been mystified by the girl. It would be more appropriate to think of her as an android that possessed an astoundingly advanced AI and she was definitely curious as to how it was she functioned in such a human-like manner.

It was enough that the chairman was curious enough to want to 'study her behaviour in a social environment', but with the way things were going then… Well, Fuuka was less than hopeful to say that Aigis would succeed in assimilating to their school and their ways of life.

Junpei just grinned. "Well, as far as I'm concerned, it's a great idea… Just look at how cute she is in that uniform!"

"Of course you'd say something like that…" Minato muttered to himself as he formulated a way to somehow get past Aigis and to his room. His comment was in response to Junpei, who'd been complimenting Aigis' apparent cuteness in the uniform. Guess he might've forgotten that she was an android for a minute. Her next sentence served to bring them back to reality.

"The camouflage Fuuka-san has provided me with seems to be the appropriate size."

Fuuka hid her face in her hands. Camouflage? There went her hope.

If he walked past now, the probability of her attempting to grab him in an uncomfortable manner (it was hugging, but Minato would never admit it as such) would be somewhere around ninety-one per cent or something like that.

"It looks very natural on you; no one will suspect a thing. But, why does he want you to go to school? It's not like there's anything special about it." Even Ken, as mature and precocious as he might come off, was no stranger to the boredom that sometimes accompanied school. It was even more so, since it was harder for him to talk to other children around his age when he wasn't being open with his interests.

Aigis turned towards him. "With the commencement of the second semester, I intend to synchronize my schedule with the other members'." She gestured to the second-years gathered in the lounge. "If I were to remain here on standby, it could delay our deployment. Therefore, I request to accompany our squad leader."

Minato had to hide a scoff. Of course it was another excuse for her to 'stay by his side'. He already had a girlfriend; he didn't want to complicate things with Sachiko if she saw Aigis wandering around and trying to stalk him. He shivered at the thought.

"Your body temperature has dropped by approximately point two of a degree. Is something wrong, Minato-san?" Aigis somehow had the speed to come over while he was lost in thought and touch his neck. He _immediately_, and I mean _immediately_, recoiled from her touch, scratching at the afflicted area.

"Delay our deployment?" Yukari rolled her eyes. "Won't you going to school create more… problems?" She gestured in the general direction of the cringing Minato and Aigis, who was attempting to poke him and gather data on his body temperature.

And he was dodging as best as he could without too much movement!

"I will make any necessary adjustments as problems arise."

Aigis didn't even look to reply to Yukari directly.

Koromaru barked and circled Minato, then Ken, then Fuuka, Junpei and Yukari—he nuzzled the latter's leg affectionately. "He said, 'I want to go to school, too'," Aigis informed, still not ceasing her assault on Minato.

Yukari patted Koromaru. "Sorry Koro-chan… You have to stay here."

He gave a whine in response.

"Why is Minato-kun…?" Fuuka mumbled to herself. Minato's movements were becoming even more erratic as he sprinted around the couch and tables.

While Junpei laughed, Yukari furrowed her brow as she tried figuring out just what was wrong with him. His reaction when she touched his neck was like… "Oh my god. Minato-kun!"

"W-What?" he stammered. And he was caught. Aigis poked Minato's neck, making him twitch towards and away from her.

Yukari snapped her fingers. "Minato-kun, I never would've pegged you on this but…" He stared at her, blinking owlishly as Aigis calculated aloud his body temperature to be back to normal. "Are you ticklish?"

He chewed on his lip. Crap.

…

Things just became even more annoying.

With Aigis at school, how could he ever avoid any more rumours? She was metaphorically and literally uneducated—uneducated enough that she wouldn't know any better not to say something like, 'This spot will be perfect... Because I wish to always be by his side,' while she was being introduced to the class.

Thankfully, and surprisingly, Akihiko was his saviour from the barrage of rumours and Aigis' stalking methods for that day. He confirmed the text he received from his senior, detailing to meet him after school at the gates for something of apparent importance.

"There you are. There's something I have to do, and I want you to come with me," Akihiko explained briefly, already beginning to set off.

He followed him with a sigh. Akihiko might drag him along regardless. Might as well know why. "What for," Minato said flatly.

"We're going to get someone. An old member."

Well. Seemed important enough, he guessed but… "You need me because?"

"You're not walking out on me, are you?" Akihiko asked warily. After a shake of his head, he elaborated, "Well, he should meet the field leader of the whole team. He'll probably want to size you up himself."

Size him up? Geez.

Minato followed him to the ramen shop in Iwatodai Strip Mall (he now had some serious ramen cravings and it was definitely Akihiko's fault), where he saw a familiar beanie-wearing teen exit.

"You're getting on my nerves!" Shinjiro growled.

Akihiko frowned. "The situation has changed. Sorry, but this time, I'm not asking." The briefcase he was holding onto was thrust towards him.

The command from his usually, more passive friend, made Shinjiro's eyes widen. He either had to have some balls, lost more brains than was good for him, or had something serious happen. He was almost sure it was a combination of all three. "What?"

"This belongs to you. We have a new enemy. They're Persona users, like us," he tried to coax at first.

He scoffed. As if that would change anything. Typical Aki, getting worked up about their new enemies and whatever. Shinjiro began walking from the scene. Minato had a vague feeling of camaraderie with the beanie-wearing guy. That's what he felt like! "There's more.

"Ken Amada has joined our team."

Frozen. "What the hell are you talking about?" he snarled.

"He has the potential, and Ikutsuki-san has okayed it. He's now a Persona user," Akihiko explained further, waiting for his friend's response.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Shinjiro muttered before turning back to face Akihiko and Minato. "Let me ask you one thing… Was it his decision to join SEES?"

He nodded. "Yeah. He volunteered."

Shinjiro sighed. "Well… Then, count me in…" Minato immediately wondered what Ken's relationship to them was, but decided not to voice that concern. "So, you're the one leading the operations now, huh? If you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you fighting for?"

Minato was eyed by his steely glare. He could only respond with blankness. "Do you really care?"

He snorted in amusement. "You're right. I don't. You do your thing. I'll do mine."

…

"Here."

Immediately slumping into the lyre chair, Minato threw a satchel of Shadow remnants and items towards Elizabeth. She managed to catch it on the full. "Ooh, I must peer into this collection…" she muttered to herself as she rummaged through it, nodding at the contents.

Something had been on his mind. And for once, it wasn't her. And no, it wasn't the fact that Igor was mysteriously absent from the room. "Hey."

She kept muttering, "Ooh, Tiara's Hair—five of them! And four Knight's Reins…"

"Elizabeth." Minato clearly wasn't bothering with the honorifics.

She looked up at him after emptying the bag into a box. Where did it even come from?! "What is it?"

"You know… There are other people that can talk to Shadows, right?" Minato furrowed his brow.

Elizabeth thought for a moment. "Well, I suppose it shouldn't be too much of a surprise to say that your power isn't unique. It is simply that your power, while similar, has a different quality. So of course, there are other people capable of Shadow Whispering like you."

Just like Sachiko, huh? "Right…" Minato gave a sigh. What should he do?

"Could it be that Minato-sama is unsure of something?"

He folded his arms. "Sachiko had warned me about another group of Shadow Whisperers. The next Dark Hour, since I'd been resting from that Tartarus run…" Minato pursed his lips. "I saw some people outside the dorm. And I could hear them speaking to me in Shadow Whispers."

She sat down… in Igor's usual spot. "Welcome to the Velvet Room. What are your troubles, Minato-sama?" His lips pursed in annoyance. He'd already had so much trouble dealing with Yukari and Junpei teasing him about him being ticklish and that wasn't even mentioning the fact that Aigis was in his classroom, still on about the whole 'I must stay by his side' schtick.

"They asked me to… join their group. With Strega and all," he answered after a moment.

…

There was one of them in plain view. "Minato-kun," Kishimaru whispered.

Reluctantly, Minato opened the window. He could hear it faintly before, but it had been lost through the glass. The cold made him reluctant. This was even worse than the visit that Pharos gave him a few days ago, reminding him about the next full moon.

He knew that even if people were still watching him on grounds of 'observing his behaviour' like he had the feeling Ikutsuki would have no qualms implementing, they wouldn't be able to hear or translate a thing of what he, or this person was saying, regardless of the way he acted. "Is it you?" Minato asked.

His jaded eyes met Minato's stone ones. "Yeah. Kishimaru," he breathed out, watching his breath fog up.

Minato recalled the mass of Shadows he escaped from. He hadn't forgotten. He also hadn't forgotten about who Kishimaru was and why he knew him. That persuaded him to say, "What are you here for?"

Blunt and straight to the point, as always. Kishimaru's mouth set in a line as he suppressed some fading nostalgia. "You know who I'm aligned with. Those other people; Takaya-san and Jin-san. Along with Strega, the other three Shadow Whisperers and I have free reign in the Dark Hour by our command of Shadow Waves."

Taking his pondering as an invitation to continue, Kishimaru did just that. "We… want you to join us." Minato narrowed his eyes, but said nothing, waiting for his seeming friend to elaborate on the why and their motivation.

"We are working together as a team to prolong the Dark Hour," Kishimaru stated. "Eliminating SEES is a part of that effort."

His fists tightened and his brow furrowed. "Are you telling me this just because of your goal? Or because you don't want me to get hurt as part of it?"

He snorted. "A little bit of both." Kishimaru paused. Then chuckled. "Heh. _I_ want you to join. We have some catching up to do, don't we?

"How our lives went in that ten year timespan. How we might've suffered. I don't really remember you smiling a lot back then either. Were you… _happy_ while you were away?"

Minato flinched on his emphasis and the wry smile Kishimaru had. "I know your powers. I won't discriminate. None of us will. We'll welcome your power and you can put that sorry bunch behind you.

"It's not like we haven't noticed how you act around them, and how they act around you."

His hairs were now raised, like a dog's hackles.

He paused.

Sachiko… He remembered that she warned him about the group of Shadow Whisperers. They were targeting him. But then again… was it so bad? Sure, he knew that they were getting a bit better, little by little. The question was whether he could wait for them to fully accept him when they—his friend, was waiting for him to join with open arms.

"Kishimaru…" Minato chuckled inwardly. Unlike him, he was always a bit shy to use anything beyond a more familiar honorific. "I… I actually am glad to see you. But… would it be okay to give it some time? It's a big decision, isn't it?"

Why the hesitation?

He just laughed, mirthlessly. "No, I understand. But… come whenever. Back of Port Island Station. You know the place."

…

"Then, he left me alone." Minato closed his eyes as he leaned back in the lyre chair.

Elizabeth seemed thoughtful. "I'm surprised that you're coming to me for consultation, Minato-sama. I would've thought you might've confided in your friend. What was her name again? Sachiko-san, was it?" She turned back to him with a gleaming gaze. "But alas, you have made your decision."

He sighed deeply. There was no way that he could tell Sachiko just what had happened. Minato knew what she'd say—which would be not to trust them and not think about joining them, especially since they were responsible for the numerous deaths that had been occurring around Iwatodai.

"I suppose I must be revealing something… quite pertinent to your decision now."

Wow. Didn't expect her to be actually honest with him… but then again, he _was_ being honest with her. There wasn't really anyone else that he could entrust that information to; it wasn't like he was going to spill the information to a part of the public or SEES.

"You see, I must reveal that…" Elizabeth gave an enigmatic smile. "I have given you a half truth in saying that acting your antisocial self," he deadpanned at her, "and using Shadows for your own strength will affect the Velvet Room's services."

Minato blinked. Seriously? He could've been acting the way he wanted and…

"It is true that wielding Shadows is a dangerous practice; you may already know the consequences of using such power, especially those of the negative variety." Her smile grew wider. "And of course, you know what happens when you act unsociable. What _is_ important, however, is that you uphold your original contract."

Accept all responsibility for the consequences of your actions.

He grimaced. "So I can't run… can't hide from the bad things that might happen, is what you're saying. If bad things happen to me because of the things that I do, I have to fix it or deal with it."

She nodded, seeing such realisations affect his normally blank visage. The words, now given context, gave him a meaning of great weight. "So… if I chose to join the other Shadow Whisperers…"

"Minato-sama… we of the Velvet Room will always be there for brief consultation and for your regular request, compendium and fusion needs, regardless of your choices," she reassured.

A sigh. "Gotcha… But Elizabeth." She inclined her head, certainly not letting the perfectly perched hat on her head fall or even shift. "Why did you… not exactly lie I guess, but mislead me like that, all those months ago?"

"I must be honest, yes?"

"I'd prefer it."

Elizabeth closed her eyes, giving him a well-practiced smile. "I… do only wish for your continued success, Minato-sama.

"Through using Shadows, you share their pain and it becomes your own. Healing that pain of theirs gives you power. It hurts you as well, for those moments when you fail… and that voice you hear…" he flinched at its mention, "may only wish to bring you into a deep darkness which even you, of all people, may not be able to bear."

They fluttered open. "I hope that fate… does not befall you before too long. That is a concern, which may be alluded to with the power of the cards. I hope you avoid it."

Minato's body grew frigid with tension. "Is that an obligation… or a want?"

Her smile softened. "A little bit of both."

* * *

**AN: It's over 5000! - Like I promised, it's a lead up to the Hermit. Expect things to go down. Not in a good way. But you already knew that, right? I'm almost sorry for the long chapter, but I wanted to move the story along and well... I ended up packing a lot of important bits into it. **

**Junpei and Chidori will have their own section in the next, so... look forward to that?**

**This long chapter was brought to you in part by a Persona fanfic called 'Ticklish', Danganronpa and Noragami. WORSHIP THEM! Jokes.**

**Also... Orpheus using Diarama and Minato _still_ having it around? That's on purpose.**

**Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed it. **


	36. Direct Carnage

Thump, thump, thump.

Beating, like the heart to a fatal dance, was syncopated by the crackling of tension and lightning.

"Hey, Junpei… What do you do to make you feel alive?"

In his hand, _was_ her hand, where he could feel lifeblood silently flowing, living… dying. A hand that showed no scars, but had felt pain, however faint or fleeting. "Bet you don't just mean 'breathing', huh?" Chidori didn't give him an answer. He sat down next to her and she didn't seem to mind. "I guess… I guess I've never given it that much thought. Is that why you draw?"

She'd snatched her hand back. "Maybe… But, most of these are just scribbles… I don't understand myself very well." The warmth of his fingers lingered on hers. Calloused, yet soft.

Junpei nodded. "I see…" He closed his eyes, now aware—basking in the heartless sun. "I used to think maybe… I could get a kick out of playing hero." Chidori gave him a look of confusion.

The pain seared away at his nerves, dancing and trampling on them, using him as the road to scrape the dirt off their shoes.

"But… I don't know anymore." He gave a sigh. "I actually went to apologise to someone last time I met with you. And I feel kinda better, I guess. I think I want to feel like what I'm doing is significant. That the effort I put into… I dunno… fighting. That when I fight, it's for something good and that people can be like, 'Wow! You really rock dude! You're the best! Thanks for protecting us!' when I'm done."

A frown crossed her face as she tried making out the meaning of his words. "Do you fight alone?"

"Nah. In a team. I don't really call the shots, which sucks…" Junpei sighed. "No-one really knows about us either. It's kinda lonely, being a vig."

Nerves fired.

"So you mean… you fight to… protect people that you don't know. You don't receive any praise for it. Do you want that?" Chidori asked, continuing to draw.

He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. But… wait, you actually believe what I'm saying?"

"Depends. What do you think you're saying?"

Junpei's eyes widened. "Agh, man… It's supposed to be a secret and all. I'm not supposed to tell ya something like that." He'd probably get chewed out for it anyways.

She paused. "That's too bad. I was looking forward to hearing your story." He chewed his lip, but definitely decided 'no'. "Maybe another time? It's not like I'll tell anyone else."

He found himself nodding. "Yeah, that's probably for the best. You know. For whenever the worst of the danger goes away and stuff!" Junpei couldn't help but grin.

Chidori gave a hum of affirmation and closed her sketchbook. "Well… thank you, Junpei. I had fun today."

"Y-You did?"

She stood and motioned to leave. "I'll see you another time." As it turned out… they had something else to attend to that they needed Medea for.

…

The muzzle of the Evoker was pressed against her temple.

"Hey, Takaya. Do you really think it's a good idea to just leave SEES to that bunch of Whisperers?" Jin sighed, clenching his fists. Takaya's eyes were dazzled, fixated on the stretching light of the moon, almost glowing with ethereal power as Hypnos raged under his skin. "We could've gone to… up the ante a little."

"Medea…" she murmured, revelling in a euphoric high of power that only summoning her Persona could give her, accented by hard, painful notes against her mind and body.

Takaya just smiled eerily. "I wouldn't worry too much. But if we must… we do have the final assurance that we need," he replied. The grin he had widened as the barrel of his revolver touched, moved her hair behind her ear in a mockery of hand gestures.

In blue light, only stabilised by suppressants, formed a lithe woman with red and black seared onto her skin. Her amber eyes lit up with power, mimicking the cup of flames she held in one hand. Raging with vengeful life, tendrils of fire created a hot, fearful air that covered the life signatures of the four now heading over to Club Escapade.

Sachiko gritted her teeth. Just her luck that she had to run into Strega while the Shadow Whisperers were getting ready to leave. The fact was that while she had a gun against her head and the threat of a Persona being unleashed against her person, she couldn't do much.

There were so many words that she wanted to say and she ended up cursing aloud in Whispers. "That dork better not do something stupid." How the hell did she manage to get caught up in a damsel in distress situation when she'd managed to avoid it for so long anyways?! Just her _luck_, wasn't it?

She'd gathered some clues from a Shadow that they'd recently been forced to attack another person who'd awoken during the Dark Hour from their call. It then froze up as if by some overpowering force and was made to attack her somehow. By the time she'd started running, there was a _wave_ of Shadows on her tail, throwing fire, ice and wind at her; their spells.

Couple that with Takaya, Jin and Chidori coming in from the other direction and she was more or less screwed.

"It appears that she truly does have the same abilities…" Takaya commented aloud.

Jin furrowed his brow. "Hey. You know that if you try to get a Shadow to help you, we're just going to kill it? It's not like they're any competition."

She sighed. "Oh, don't worry. I wasn't." Just busy cursing the non-comforting feel of the gun against her head.

"They're almost there," Chidori notified, dispelling her Persona.

…

"Dodge!"

Junpei hopped away from the Mazionga, now scorching his previous spot. The blue-white electricity came down in a thunderbolt from above, cracking, splitting his line of sight.

Arcana Hermit reared and swung wires and cables about the floor as a flash of spiritual power came from the generator on its back. Junpei managed to deflect the attack, pushing the wires with the flat of his blade.

"Careful! It just used Mind Charge!" her voice came through.

Ken pole vaulted with his spear over the attack, leaping nimbly the end of his weapon into the Shadow's side. "There's another Mazionga coming!" Fuuka exclaimed.

Shinjiro scoffed. "That kid better not get himself into any trouble…" He braced himself to dodge the aforementioned attack, toting his bus stop sign on his shoulder.

Minato waved his compendium, he and the book bursting with spiritual power. "Blue Wall," he murmured. Over time, he'd built up a few more Shadows in his compendium from Tartarus. That place was really convenient.

"Hey Ken! Watch out from overhead!" Junpei shouted.

He flicked off Arcana Hermit's side with a backflip, spinning his spear. Landing rather safely on Castor, Ken replied, "Thanks! But what's another Shadow doing here?!" He watched the enemy he hit with his spear as it clambered to full form on the ground—a Magical Magus.

As Shinjiro lowered his Persona, he noticed the wildly sparking lightning bolt coming from above Ken. A blue wall formed above Shinjiro as he commanded Castor to dodge the Mind Charged Mazionga attack. The blue-white lightning hit him head on in the process, although it was partially neutralised by the energy of the wall.

"Fuuka, the hell's going on?!" Junpei exclaimed, jumping away from the Zio attack and summoning Hermes. His Persona gleamed and shot towards Arcana Hermit, wings pinned as it repeatedly dug into it like a nail.

The Shadow let out screeches of anguish upon each hit. Seeing more Shadows somehow able to seep through the ceiling, Hermes shot towards them the same way it did before, piercing into them and whizzing into the next like a torrential pachinko ball. "There's way too many of them! Where are they even coming from?!"

"E-Everyone, there's a large wave of Shadows coming to attack us! There are so many of them! The others can't hold them all back and some of them are getting inside," she tried to explain. "I don't understand… I should've been able to sense them before they came here and…"

…

It blacked out the moon.

The sight, dark as coal, enveloped their vision.

"There are more than eighty Shadows in that wave," Aigis spoke aloud, peppering the Shadow Wave with machine gun fire.

"Eighty?! I've never seen that many Shadows in the one place—" Mitsuru stopped herself. She had, once before.

Blobs of Shadow dropped off from the wave, disintegrating into incognito forms. Some of them turned into their full forms, beginning to assault the team. Most of them, when each of the members were occupied, scuttled into Club Escapade and seeped through the ceiling like liquid straining through sponge.

With the Shadows hiding them and with Chidori's power, Kishimaru, Yoko, Hakori and Shina managed to slip past them, all except for Koromaru, by sense of smell. "Arf arf!" he barked, summoning Cerberus.

The three headed hellhound howled, summoning waves of fire to catch the four off guard. Maragion spread, even hitting some of the Shadows in the wave before them. Koromaru let out a yelp of surprise when he saw a rare, golden Shadow scoot past and take the hit as if nothing happened.

A Supreme Hand?! _Really?!_

…

"Some bodyguard, Shina."

Hakori cursed as he brushed off the small flames that he caught from Koromaru's Maragion attack.

"Hey, what works, works. I _wanted _to bring along something like an Avenger Knight Shadow, but _I_ can't control those." She shrugged and sighed, side eyeing Kishimaru. He didn't return or even notice the distasteful look she gave him, only heading straight for the basement. "Some conversationalist…" she muttered to herself, following the leader.

Minato was horror struck at the gelatinous movement beginning to pour into the basement like sludge rain.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The wailing he heard wasn't just something his mind thought up. In fact, he could hear it ringing in even his teammates' ears. Eerie Sound. It came, like a hurricane, blasting the team's ear drums off with screams and moans of terror.

Like a typhoon, spells and skills were lashed upon the now distressed team.

Junpei could only hope to hear again, even as he pressed his hands against his ears. Even Shinjiro couldn't handle the overwhelming wave of Shadows armed only with Castor and a bus stop sign, but he did manage to block the brunt of the attack for Ken.

"Glad to see that you've made your decision, Minato-kun." An all too familiar voice cut through the shrieking throng.

He could also hear the sound of three other simultaneous whispers in the background, telling the wave to stand down awhile.

She warned him to be careful. Not to join them. What did that do?

Minato breathed out, feeling his chest heave and head pound from Distress. "I haven't," he hissed. "Sho!" On his whisper, the Brave Wheel appeared in gelatinous form from his compendium, hovering in the air. The Intrepid Knight had also reverted to incognito form.

"The seeds of doubt have already been sown," Kishimaru whispered with a thin smile. The other three; Yoko, Hakori and Shina began chanting in whispers, making a majority of the Shadows shudder on their command.

"Why are you denying it? After all, it's not like you've ever cared about your so called 'team', right? You considered my offer because you know how much they've treated you like shit!" Kishimaru laughed, grinning down at Minato all the while.

Junpei's gaze shot towards Minato at Kishimaru's words, who was shuddering as he muttered indecipherable Shadow Whispers.

"Minato-kun. Together, we're going to destroy until there's not even a trace of them," he urged. "Unless… You really do feel a connection with them? Is that why you're making those two Shadows fuse?" Kishimaru whispered.

His eyes gleamed as the two's incognito forms began combining.

"I do have to tell you… This isn't exactly a request. We have _her_."

An influx of blue and black energy whipped around as he dared add something else to the mix. "I thought… I could trust you before… I thought you were my friend," Minato spoke aloud. "But if you're here… because you think you can hurt her… Then I don't know what you've become."

The incognito form of Masashi joined the mix.

Kishimaru grinned. "It's too bad. We had so much catching up to do… Only to be cut short."

"By order of your fear; your anger; and your suffering, we who wield this ancient tongue do command and empower your agony," the whispers started. "In this dark art will we rain death upon your adversaries," he continued, "Merge!"

A similar influx of ruby coloured energy cracked like thunder and lightning as the Shadow Wave whizzed into Arcana Hermit.

Minato felt the surge of whispers even reach the notepad he'd hidden the other Arcana Shadows in and his compendium. The black pages morphed into incognito form as well, joining the mass of Shadows melting into Arcana Hermit's form.

Minato's three chosen Shadows burst in azure light, forming, "Rising Knight." Kishimaru's trusty steed turned steely grey with a metallic body and limbs. Emerald and amber light streaked across its body, the same colours lining the knight's armour. His helmet had turned lion-like, reminiscent of Sho's head and now wielded both a lance and a winged arm cannon. Imprinted on it was a yellow cross and the number XX.

Engage 'Rule of Cool'. He snorted. Well, all the mindless trawling he did on TV Tropes with Sachiko could actually come in useful now.

Ichor melted and slathered Arcana Hermit as the Shadow Wave—those that weren't engaged with the others outside—arched towards and covered it in an extra layer of ichor, burning and melting into its body like acid.

The dark chrysalis was lashed with red, like paths of lightning streaked across the Hermit's hunched, lupine body. Its masks burbled, morphed and combined onto where the head would be, becoming a white, malformed mask with a hollow smile. A constant sheet of lightning hovered over its fur, metal-enforced arms had gelatine wings and four rings of tank tracks wrapped around its body like bandoliers. The wires it was previously attached to were drawn towards its back, plugged into the now sparking generators on it.

Junpei's eyes widened as he told Hermes to attack with Torrent Shot. It zoomed towards the electrical cloak, making him cringe as he felt some of the lightning paining his Persona and plunged into its flesh.

Arcana Hermit, now fully reformed, swung its cross adorned sceptre, creating a fierce gust of wind with Magarula. Not once expecting the attack, Shinjiro, Ken, Castor and Hermes were blown back by its attack.

The gust of wind slammed Junpei into the nearest wall, winding him easily. "How can it…?" he struggled to say.

"I-It! It has the power of those Shadows… and I can also sense the presences of the Empress and Chariot full moon Shadows!" Fuuka realised. "But… I thought we destroyed them…"

Taking the opportunity, Kishimaru smirked. "Well, if _that's_ not proof that Minato wasn't on your side, then I don't know what is," he pressed.

Minato's eyes widened. "Rising Knight!" he whispered. Responding to his will, a purple haze fell over his teammates and over Arcana Hermit, lighting up over the four former and weakening the Shadow with Rakunda. As another amber light formed over Arcana Hermit, it gave a roar and flashed once again with Mind Charge. "Yeah, I wouldn't still be helping my team… if I was against them!"

Junpei stared at Minato, finally recovered from the earlier Wind spell. "Minato!"

He looked back at Junpei, about to summon with his Evoker.

"We're still going to beat these guys' asses, right?!" Two bangs rang out as Orpheus and Hermes formed.

He gave the slightest smirk as he registered Junpei's apparent faith in him. "I'm going to, if you are," he answered. "Matarukaja!" Minato continued with, "Rising Knight, protect Hermes!"

A similar amber light enveloped his team from Orpheus, now playing an empowering melody on his lyre. "Hermes!" The winged Persona enveloped itself in flames, spiralling towards Arcana Hermit.

Rising Knight followed by casting Makarakarn on him. The Magarula that came to knock Hermes back reflected from the mirror. Wind slashed back, Hermes was chest bound, slammed into it, rebounded and crushed it once more before dispelling.

Although the Rising Knight was draining the spell's energy, Minato didn't share the same immunity and was forced back against the attack, nicked and bitten by it.

Shinjiro gritted his teeth as he withstood the effects of the two wind spells that were thrown at him. Just his luck that his first encounter with one of those full moon Shadows was _this_ one, where the craziest shit had to happen.

Ken struggled to stand against them, somehow managing to lodge onto a row of cables with his spear, summoning Nemesis after the onslaught was over.

Arcana Hermit cried out as it was knocked onto the floor. "Ken!" Minato called. "Rising Knight!"

"Right!" Nemesis rushed towards the downed Arcana Hermit as Rising Knight loaded its cannon with shells.

…

"Come, Hypnos."

A grisly figure, suspended by means of the wings grafted to its spine, appeared in a burst of red light. The pale Persona, riddled with bulging, red veins, had tiny dots of light flowing through it, channelling just under its body. The energy coalesced into a violet orb then thrown overhead.

"W-Watch out! Above you!" Fuuka warned the outside team members.

Mitsuru glanced upwards, immediately summoning Penthesilea as she stepped away. "Bufula!" The shards of ice came to counter the Almighty attack. Catching on, Koromaru summoned up flames in Agilao, while Yukari tried slashing it away with a Garula.

The three attacks fought back the larger one, eventually blasting in an explosion of light.

Takaya clapped as the SEES members managed to counter his attack. "Hmph… Almost impressive," he spoke. "I'm afraid, however, that this little show will have to come to a premature end. If you dare make a move towards me, my associate," he gestured towards Jin, "or those Shadows, I will not hesitate to end her life."

As Hypnos and its attack disappeared, Akihiko gritted his teeth and spoke what was on everyone's minds, "Y-You brought a hostage…" Sachiko glared at the ground as she felt the muzzle of his revolver press a little in her back.

He was sure then. If Minato truly had begun fighting against his new foes, he would be stopped by her.

…

"I'm afraid that if you keep going like that, someone is going to end up hurt."

Minato snapped his head to face the voice. It was him—Takaya, wasn't it? "Ken, wait!" he shouted, immediately regretting it as he began coughing diluted blood profusely onto the floor.

"W-What happened?" Ken murmured aloud, halting Nemesis as he turned towards the source of the voice, along with Shinjiro and Junpei.

He growled, shifting Rising Knight to face the group of seven. "So Minato-kun… I'm afraid that this ends here, with you joining Strega," Kishimaru stated, gesturing towards Sachiko. She chewed on her lip as she locked eyes with Minato. Junpei, Shinjiro and Ken stared at Minato, imploring him not to. "Just summon those Shadows into your compendium, defuse yours and leave SEES."

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Sachiko seemed resigned. She knew exactly what he was going to do, even though she said herself not to. As it was, she wasn't fearless enough to think that she could get out of the situation; her death was just a bullet away, after all.

With Minato's whispers, Kishimaru grinned wildly. The Rising Knight split into its original components into his compendium and the still downed Hermit began a transformation into its amorphous one, compressing with blue light. His spiritual power crushed the Shadow, smaller, and smaller, with more resistance the smaller it became.

Eventually, it reached page size and flew into his compendium, affixing itself to the spine. Taking a deep breath as his power faded into the air, the sparking in the room died down and he walked towards the group, passing an apologetic look to Sachiko, who seemed to return the sentiment.

"Hypnos."

"Moros."

The two Personas flared into existence.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

They readied their weapons and Personas, now calculating several things at once; including the possibilities of their deaths.

* * *

**AN: Um... Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter. Later! :)  
There's also a bit of information about Rising Knight and transformed Arcana Hermit if you're curious. **

**Name: Rising Knight**  
**Arcana: Sun (4+7+8=19)**  
**Components: Intrepid Knight, Brave Wheel, Arcana Justice,**  
**RAW: Drain Wind, Drain Fire, Null Light,**

**Skills: Garudyne, Magarula, Mind Charge, Power Charge, Makarakarn, Gigantic Fist, Heat Wave, Rakukaja**  
**Agidyne, Maragion, Kill Rush, Matarunda, Rakunda, **  
**Twin Shot, Torrent Shot, Myriad Arrows, Vile Assault, Hama, Poison Mist, Samarecarm, Unite**

**Name: Arcana Hermit  
Arcana: Fortune (3+5+6+7+9=12 mod 22)  
Components: Mainly Arcana Empress, Arcana Hierophant, Arcana Lovers, Arcana Chariot and Arcana Hermit,  
RAW: -**

**Skills: There's too many. The skill sets of all the Shadow components. **


	37. Missing the Switch

Breath was cold, clammy against his neck.

It was the echo of a familiar voice which gave him shivers and comfort. The words were usually maniacal nonsense, but what he heard made him freeze.

Sounds of struggle and Shadow Whispering drowned out. Muted vibrations warped, were mangled in blaring volume and then dropped to white noise before repeating the cycle.

"Minato-kun…"

The voice spoke his name.

…

Sachiko chewed her lip as Takaya and Jin unleashed their Persona against the remaining three members in the room. They handed her to Kishumaru, who merely watched the scene play out with grim amusement.

Throwing his head back with laughter, Hypnos' wings arched and zigzagged with gale force at Hermes. "What feeble resistance can you three give us?" Takaya's expression spread into a thin smile.

Shinjiro gritted his teeth as he summoned his Persona. Castor's horse swung its blade-like horn into one of Hypnos' wings, allowing Hermes to tuck his wings in and dive in.

With a fearsome crack, the wing dislocated. Feeling the same pain to his spine, Takaya's gasp turned into a hacked out cough, morphing again to rasping when Hermes slammed into his Persona's fragile frame.

What Junpei didn't expect, however, was the influx of negative emotion that welled up within him as Hermes backed away from Takaya's Persona—his knees shook as he felt the sheer malice and nihilism bear down on him as if the air had gained weight.

Kishimaru turned his attention to Minato and Sachiko.

She seemed still in resignation at their situation. "M-Minato?" Sachiko spoke in Shadow Whispers.

Minato looked around blearily, his hands, arms and voice shaking as he to hold his compendium. "How could it be you? What happened to you…?" he whispered.

On one hand, Minato wasn't in any condition to resist, let alone fight. On the other, there was something wrong with him, although Kishimaru didn't know what. "H-He's…!" Sachiko stifled her gasp as her hand unconsciousness drifted to her neck.

After a moment, Kishimaru asked very simply, "What?"

"He's going through psychosis…"

Ken had Nemesis face off against Moros. Hearing the faint whirring sound of Jin's robotic Persona spinning wildly with darkness and flames, Ken hopped nimbly away. The Mudoon orbs flung into Nemesis. It was commanded by Ken to counter the weakness with Hama and floated from its trajectory.

Halted temporarily by the opposing attack, the Mudoon curse pulsated and finally drowned out the seal tags before dissipating against the walls. "Zionga!" Ken called. The rings of raging Agilao were cut through by Nemesis' electrified buzz saw.

He felt burns as Nemesis passed through, making Ken flinch even as he approached Jin. The dread that pulsed through him upon contact with the leftover flames was far too noticeable.

"What… is that feeling…?" Junpei gritted his teeth as Hermes broke into mist and glass. Hate and misanthropy throbbed in his chest and in his head, spies piercing, infiltrating the corridors of his mind.

Takaya hummed as Hypnos backed off from Castor, now gathering Almighty magic around its body. Shinjiro grunted as he felt a similar, but lesser assault on his psyche; enough to make Castor pause as it completed its Fatal End attack.

For him, it was a lot more familiar. The clashing of their wills. Opposing minds, psyches and philosophies seeping into another's with every injury inflicted and upon each contact with their opponent. He vividly remembered when he sparred with Aki in the past, growing used to the burning determination behind Polydeuces' power seeking fists.

Still, Ken shrugged off the strange pain and let loose the electrical attack as he leaped towards Jin, spear poised to strike. White blue arcs of voltage scarred the air and lashed at Moros. The fear that now settled within him sowed doubt. His first major battle against the Shadows now against a Persona user, just like him.

With Shadows, it was easy. Ken's mind wasn't set on becoming a killer, even if it was manslaughter. He focused more on hitting Jin in such a way that would incapacitate him than hitting him in the first place.

Jin growled as he felt searing anguish shock his nerves, but holding onto what concentration he had left, a pulse of dark energy unleashed from Moros. Mudoon hit true into Nemesis, engulfing it in curses which took the form of arcane circles and spheres.

Dark flame enveloped it, shattering Nemesis and Ken's psyche, blowing energy out of his body. The cold animosity that Jin had for him and quite easily the rest of SEES surged through his mind, making him only capable of the slightest movements in his stunned state. He couldn't even concentrate on making Nemesis use a Diarama spell.

Revolvers and pistols were not his area of expertise. In fact, he rather preferred the large area of effect that bombs and other incendiaries gave him. However, Jin, now retrieving such a pistol from within his jacket, knew that even they weren't the most efficient methods of killing. It was pointed squarely at his shivering opponent. He tried putting up a fight, but hell if the kid was just unlucky—Moros specialised in the Mudo branch of spells which happened to be his Persona's weakness.

Shinjiro looked between Junpei, now regaining his bearings; Hypnos and its new attack; and his downed teammate. "Junpei, get your ass back in gear before his Persona blows us to smithereens dammit!"

As much as he would hate to admit it, he couldn't handle both dire situations at the same time. Castor rushed towards Jin with a hollow roar. Even though Jin's Persona had been dismissed prior, he wasn't concerned. Seeing the attack telegraphed from a mile away, he managed to jump away from Castor, unscathed.

Junpei barely registered his senpai's warning and the dangerous humming of a Megidola spell. He wasn't close enough to Takaya yet. At this point, if he could make him lose his concentration or something like that, it would be the safer option.

Hermes swooped towards Takaya and although he saw the attack coming, he barely managed to get away. With a few scratches, Hypnos only flickered for a moment. He didn't expect the Agilao that hit him from behind once Hermes had stopped. Letting out a yell of pain, Hypnos shattered, along with its attack.

Ken looked on in stupor at Castor and the quickly retreating Jin. His vision felt muddier as he struggled to retain consciousness. His brain had been trying to hide something from him, now resurfacing in fuzzy static as the tint of the Dark Hour clouded it, barely muffling the screams of his mother's voice.

"Interesting…" Takaya laughed, his barks fading as he held up his revolver and shot at the now rushing Junpei.

Blindsided by his prowess and the speed of his bullet, it pierced into the side of his torso, now bleeding profusely. He let out a strangled gasp, concentration on the grip of his katana quickly slipping from his fingers. Junpei pressed one of his hands against the wound, flinching as agony shot through him.

Takaya had surely been injured by the burns of Hermes' Persona; it was more or less even, depending on how Jin would be able to deal with their old benefactor.

…

Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. A cacophony composed of his heaving chest, heartbeat, the pounding in his ears and the all too familiar voice speaking odd dulcet tones amongst it all was at its chorus. Minato swallowed back his saliva and blood. "I-I'll… Yes… You're right… Arcana Hermit… Attack those three…" he whispered, his eyes glazing over as he held out his compendium and set the full moon Shadow free.

"Psychosis or not, this is turning out better than I expected. I never thought Minato-kun would take such a proactive role in his team's downfall." Kishimaru folded his arms even as he felt Sachiko stare at him like a caged animal.

Sachiko licked her dry lips. "Y-You can't be serious. Minato is completely unpredictable! You and I both have no idea what's going on in his head!"

The form of the transformed Arcana Hermit bloated from page form into the black and crimson chrysalis. With an ear splitting roar, the Shadow emerged and prowled towards the engaged Persona users like a wolf stalking its prey. "Magarula…"

The two still in the fight, found it was impossible to ignore the Shadow. Junpei braced himself and Shinjiro immediately went to cover Ken. If the others weren't able to help them, then they'd _all_ be screwed.

Arcana Hermit spun its sceptre, whirling with an unprecedented speed and ferocity that hadn't been seen from the lumbering Shadow prior. The wind spell grew fiercer as spiritual power was injected into it.

"Io! Heal and protect Junpei!"

The impossibly strong wind blast arched around Takaya and Jin, clearly aiming for Shinjiro and Junpei. A familiar Persona took the hit however, before casting a quick Diarama spell to quell his anguished torso. As she burst in, Yukari didn't look overly hurt or fazed by the attack, but seemed to be running low on stamina.

With the fight outside, they'd used up a considerable amount of energy dealing with the hordes of Shadow. Their ichor created a sea of inky blackness above, pooling about Paulownia Mall's fountains.

Shinjiro was knocked aside by the powerful wind attack, only to be met by Akihiko and Mitsuru, both with their Personas out. He felt some of his energy return after Penthesilea's healing wave, while Akihiko attended to Ken. "What took you so long…?" Shinjiro scowled as he struggled to his feet.

"Mazionga," Minato whispered

Koromaru jumped nimbly from the thunderbolts while Aigis blasted her shells into Arcana Hermit with her dodge.

"There was an unusual amount of Shadows outside… It took some time to…" Mitsuru took deep breaths as she turned her attention to Takaya, Jin, Arcana Hermit and the rest of the group huddled near the back of the basement.

Shinjiro scoffed. "I was kidding. We already know."

"What happened? Why isn't Minato-kun fighting with you guys?" Yukari asked Junpei. As Takaya fired off his revolver, Io used a Garu spell to deflect the projectile, rendering it harmless.

Junpei gritted his teeth. No. He wasn't doing this because he wanted to. He was doing it because he felt like he didn't have a choice. "They took that girl hostage and if he didn't join them, they'd… probably…"

"Those…!" Yukari gritted her teeth as Hypnos blared from behind Takaya in a blast of red light.

"Can you confirm, Yamagishi?" Mitsuru asked, sending ice at Jin with her Bufula spells. They exploded in a flurry of cold, countered by the rings of Agilao sent by the now spinning Moros.

Fuuka gave a response of affirmation. "In fact, he even fought against them until Sachiko-chan was brought here…" She sighed. "None of your opponents have any weaknesses! However, Jin's Persona repels fire and blocks darkness!" Fuuka informed. She had to focus. Lucia had finally been able to scan the members of Strega.

What was most odd, however, was the energy that Arcana Hermit seemed to be sharing with Minato. It was almost as if it was siphoning his spiritual energy to power its own attacks—even if it was a second tier spell, it appeared to have the strength of a third tier one.

He ran and leapt towards the Arcana Hermit, stripping Shadows from the compendium and morphing them into shields, marked by their Rampage Drive-like appearances. Aigis' rain of bullets barely left dents in them and seeing Koromaru summon Cerberus, Minato summoned Sati to counter the Agilao billowing towards the much larger Shadow.

The flames whirled into Sati's body, engulfing her, then dying out, leaving her unscathed. "Diarama." Green-white light covered Arcana Hermit, healing the wounds that Hermes and Aigis had inflicted on it earlier.

"Minato-san! Please come to your senses!" Aigis called. Koromaru barked repeatedly, trying to reach Minato's ears. Knowing that he was a good person, he didn't want him to hurt the other humans living with him in the dorm.

If he ignored them or simply couldn't hear, no-one knew. "Unleash your power!" Minato whispered. Arcana Hermit roared as it felt his Persona's energy revitalising it and responded to his will. The generator on its back had cords of lightning coursing into it, flashing brightly as it cut through the darkness.

Fuuka gasped. "Everyone! It's gathering power for an attack through those cables attached to its back! Maybe if you disable them, you can slow that Shadow down," she informed.

Hearing her explanation loud and clear in their minds, Penthesilea made a beeline towards one of the many cords, slashing them apart with swipes of her rapier. Grasping cables of electricity soon fell lifelessly on the floor, cutting off part of the Hermit's source of power.

Shinjiro frowned as he and Akihiko stared Jin down. Both of them had been weakened already. It was a question of who would be able to outlast the other. Knowing that, Jin knew that he was at a disadvantage; Shinjiro had no problems with close quarters combat with his close range weapon, while Jin had a revolver and incendiaries to rely on. He appeared to be a stamina and strength based Persona user with no apparent weaknesses for him to exploit. That and he had a second, unknown Persona user to worry about.

With the stubbornness of a mule, Shinjiro raged forth with his Persona. "Fatal End, Castor!" Moros and Castor were about to meet mid-air.

Knitting his eyebrows together, Jin realised that the best chance he had was to distract them. Throwing a bomb down, the three's vision was obscured by an acrid plume of smoke.

"Argh…" Coughing madly to get the hot, poisonous air out of his lungs, Shinjiro and Castor were paused. Shinjiro in particular, was now backing away from the smoke.

Smiling to himself, Jin immediately commanded Moros. It threw flurries of shadowy orbs upon them, while he managed to steady the hammer of the gun against the palm of his hand. Disoriented and unable to see, let alone dodge, the revolver let loose.

Castor, bombarded by the Mudoon spell, struggled to stand against the onslaught of darkness—the pain was transferred to his master.

Ken bit back a yelp of pain as Nemesis shattered. The two bullets stuck fast into his Persona, but didn't let a single one go through. He was knocked unconscious onto the floor.

"Tch…" Jin clicked his tongue. They were running out of time.

Shinjiro registered what had just happened. "K-Ken…!"

Yukari and Junpei faced the struggling Takaya together, determined to end the fight. "H-Hey Yuka-tan… remember that trick you and Minato pulled on the monorail?"

She gritted her teeth. How could she forget? "What about it?" Io floated above Yukari, now gathering a ball of wind in her hands. "No, don't tell me." It completely destroyed the Priestess Shadow with their combined spell power.

Seeing that she'd caught on, Junpei grinned and summoned Hermes, gathering a sphere of heat and flame in front of the two Persona users. "Agilao, Hermes!" he commanded.

As Takaya struggled to regain his bearings from the burns inflicted upon him and the recent Garula spell, he heard the hum and roar of magic heading towards him. "Hypnos…!" he growled, sending a quickly charged Megido to meet the attack.

"Garula!" The wind and flame blasted at Takaya in a rampage, quickly filling the basement with heat. Embers flew from the combined spell, overpowering Takaya and Hypnos. The Persona descended in front of Takaya, taking the hit.

The pain came in droves, making Takaya double over and Hypnos completely shatter. Holding his head in his hands, mind crushing pain assaulted him, sending shivers—his body writhed as it struggled to overcome it.

"I thought you were better than that, Shinji!" Akihiko looked tired, but much fresher than Shinjiro. As his Persona disrupted Moros with a Sonic Punch, he heard Shinji mutter a 'screw you' in response. Jin felt the pain also, staggering as if he was hit by Polydeuces' right straight.

The Mudoon spells spilled about as Moros spun and dissipated, sending the curses flying at the walls and floor. Sparking electricity died out as they damaged the cords—the cords connected to Arcana Hermit.

…

Fuuka began sensing something else; something other than the struggle occurring in Club Escapade's basement and the dying web of electricity that Arcana Hermit was feeding on.

Quietly, avoiding being stained by the remnants of Shadow, she stepped towards her. Medea's life masking energy was strong, but at a close proximity, any sensor would be able to detect stronger presences.

"Medea…" The Persona came to her aid, flashing with energy as she activated Mind Charge. Quickly approaching Paulownia Mall, Fuuka turned to face her.

She immediately communicated to her fellow members, "There's another Persona user!"

That was all she was able to say before a mind charged Agidyne exploded Lucia to shards of glass, sending her to the ground. Fuuka looked up in horror at Medea, glancing at Chidori who towered over her, chain and hand axe dangling from her hand. "You. You must be their sensor. Do exactly as I say… or…" Her weapon shifted.

She immediately understood. "W-What do you want?" Fuuka stammered.

"Summon your Persona."

…

"T-The end of the Dark Hour is a-approaching," Fuuka spoke into her team's ears. "Y-You have to w-withdraw…" she struggled to explain.

"Yamagishi! What happened?!" Mitsuru exclaimed.

"O-Oh um…" She paused for a moment. "The Persona user attacked me… and if you don't stop trying to fight against the Dark Hour, they'll kill me…" Fuuka's voice dropped to a whimper, followed by a gasp.

They all felt a pit of dread form in their stomachs. They'd been overwhelmed and lives were most certainly at stake. Akihiko furrowed his brow as he looked at Mitsuru, cursing under his breath.

"Giga Spark." Arcana Hermit let loose a roar and with its body as the nexus, a bright flare of electricity erupted from it. Excruciating pain burned away at their nerves, making it near impossible to stifle their cries of pain as racing bolts of lightning ran through their systems.

Akihiko groaned, "M-Mitsuru!" Despite his resistance to electricity, even he was shocked by the attack. Yukari and Aigis were knocked out of commission and the others were in no better condition.

"W-We have to retreat," she rasped, struggling to her feet. Koromaru whined, swaying and shuddering as he did the same.

Taking that as their cue to escape, Jin ran over to Takaya and rushed from the basement as fast as he could. "Minato! You have to stop!" Sachiko shouted, struggling out of Kishimaru's grip. Realising that her normal voice wasn't reaching him at all, she switched to Shadow Whispers. "Please! It's over! We have to go!"

He gritted his teeth, giving a look to the other three Shadow Whisperers. They began whispering to Arcana Hermit, who was shaking in place and beginning to shrink in size.

…

Breathing heavily, the spiritual tether forged between the two of them cracked, splintered and fragmentised. Minato shook his head as he felt some of his power flood back into his system, now noticing how Arcana Hermit had shrunken into a much smaller size.

Looking between the Shadow Whisperers, the downed members of SEES on the ground barely conscious and twitching on the ground and the Shadow, he sighed. "We have to go!" he heard Sachiko whisper.

Barring his teeth, he compressed Arcana Hermit into page form and summoned it back into his compendium. Eventually, he too, left the scene.

But if he'd wanted to be rid of them, why did his chest tighten seeing their bodies splayed across the floor?

* * *

**AN: This is probably my favourite fight scene so far, actually. Were you expecting this? Technically I guess this is a part two to the previous chapter, but I didn't have the energy to write this at the time. Besides, I think it works a bit better this way. **

**I'm mostly wondering what you guys think about the fight scene and the way I jumped about the different parts of the fight and the perspectives I took on; was it understandable?**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	38. Complete, Utter Fallout

Electricity in shambles and Dark Hour ended.

Nudged along at axe and gunpoint, Sachiko, Fuuka and Minato were forced in the direction of Port Island's slums behind the station. None of them dared speak as they were led away by Strega and the Shadow Whisperers.

Dread in their stomachs and the hollow, spinning record of their breathing. Sachiko and Fuuka couldn't help but be worried for the members of SEES which they'd left behind.

Their last companion couldn't begin to speak even if he wanted to. Minato's tongue was lacerated severely after the Dark Hour had left and the throbbing migraine he sported didn't help either. He could vaguely make out the building that they now stood in front of.

A ramshackle apartment—victim to erosion, rust and dust—was their destination. It didn't particularly stand out amongst the other cloned structures surrounding it.

Ascending one flight of stairs, moonlight hoped to peer in through the murky windows. The milky light died before it hit the floor and only meagrely lit their ways.

They were thrust into a peeling room, littered with flakes and dust. Shadows stained the walls and floor. "You three. Watch them and don't let them escape," Kishimaru commanded.

Hakori sighed and nodded, however slowly. Shina followed suit, seeming to share his displeasure. "Yeah, right," she mumbled in response. As he left the room, the remaining three sat down and dispersed themselves in the sparse furniture.

Sachiko narrowed her eyes, seeming to notice the strange responses that the two older-looking members gave Kishimaru. "Well… I guess you heard what Kishimaru-san said. You can talk if you want, but we can hear you even if you talk in Shadow Whispers, so…" Hakori shrugged, sinking into the couch and picking up a book.

Still, Fuuka gave a sigh of relief. "Um… okay," she said quietly, approaching Minato and Sachiko. "Uh, Sachiko-san? What's wrong with Minato-kun?"

She glanced at her before turning back to him. His look was blank and listless, but occasionally his Adam's apple would bob. Sachiko thought that he must've been swallowing something. "We're about to find out," she replied. "Minato, what're you swallowing?" Startled by her voice, he coughed profusely. When Minato removed his hand, there were flecks of diluted blood, now dripping from his palm.

Sachiko's eyes widened. "What the hell…?"

"O-Oh! Yukari-chan told me about this," Fuuka exclaimed. "And… I noticed that sometimes he coughed a lot when he was fighting against some of the Shadows when we were at Tartarus or sometimes against the Shadows at the full moon." Sachiko urged her to continue. "He told Yukari-chan that sometimes his tongue started bleeding… She didn't find out why or how though."

A frown crossed her face. "Minato. How and why does your tongue start bleeding?" Sachiko asked.

"Talking in Shadow Whispers for too long… especially against powerful Shadows," he whispered, flinching as he felt a new sting to his mouth. Minato knew that he couldn't exactly keep talking.

"Fuuka-san, I think it's a side effect of his Shadow Whispers," she relayed to her. "But… this only seems to happen to him. I don't know how or why." Sachiko wasn't looking forward to straining Minato while his speech seemed as impeded as it was.

Yoko hopped over, inclining her head. "That's weird! That doesn't happen to us. But then again, we can only talk to a few types of Shadows," she said excitedly.

"Um… What do you mean by that?" Fuuka asked.

She grinned. "Well… People who can talk to Shadows can only talk to three types of Shadows. You know how they have those different masks and all that? Some of them are really different from the others and some forms of Shadow appear with those very specific masks?" Yoko spoke quickly, but somehow they understood.

Fuuka's eyes widened. "Y-Yes… Shadows are separated into twelve different types. The Kirijo Group classified them with names of tarot card arcana, from Magician to Hanged Man…" she recalled aloud. Ikutsuki was the one that had relayed the types of Shadow, how they were using that to predict the number of powerful Shadows and Fuuka herself, with Lucia's help, could identify which arcana a Shadow fell under.

"Yeah, yeah! So…" Yoko was interrupted by Shina.

She cleared her throat. "I know you're excited, but I'm not sure if we're supposed to be talking to them ourselves," she pointed out.

Yoko's eyes gleamed dangerously as she spoke her ideas aloud, "But Shina-chan, Kishimaru-kun didn't say that we couldn't! Besides, you're really going to listen to what he's saying after he went and talked to Minato-kun alone and then totally backstabbed him?"

Even Hakori looked up at her words. "If you put it that way…" he muttered. "Shadow Whisperers can only talk to three kinds of Arcana. That's why there's four of us; we cover all of them." That did explain why she could only communicate with a few Shadows. Sachiko nodded to herself. "But Minato-san. He's different, somehow. Like Yoko-san pointed out, we don't get our tongues bleeding if we whisper for too long."

"By the way… You can sleep on the couches if you want," Shina said offhand, rubbing her eyes.

Yoko had fallen asleep on the floor.

Vacating the couch, Hakori picked her up and put her on it before moving to a rather uncomfortable looking wooden chair in the corner.

Minato sighed and moved to an empty one, fully intending to sleep the night off. Never before had he felt so helpless. He didn't even know why! It wasn't like he really considered SEES to be _his_ team. Just a team that he led because he was the most versatile of them all.

"T-Thank you," Fuuka mumbled, walking to the couch Yoko was sleeping on. She only took up half of the couch space while she was curled up.

Sachiko definitely had more questions for the Shadow Whisperers, but she _was_ feeling tired. It could wait until later. If they were going to keep the three there, did that mean that they were going to keep them from going to school or from going home?

Probably. If they were smart, they wouldn't take chances.

But then again… The three of them didn't appear to be happy about the whole situation. They expressed a disdain for Kishimaru in particular. Perhaps Sachiko could use that as a means of escape. Exploit it and… the rest could come later. She wasn't exactly thinking sharply.

She chewed on her lip before sitting near Minato. Noticing she was there, he moved his legs out of the way, hanging them off the seat, and moved further into it. Sachiko sat down, glancing between him and her hand.

No. Sachiko wouldn't—couldn't trust it. She leaned back and closed her eyes.

…

Clinical white.

Junpei had been rushed to Tatsumi Memorial Hospital for medical attention. The bullet probably wouldn't be removed. Knowing him, he'd probably take the bullet as some sort of cool war scar rather than a problem, extraction or no extraction.

Very thankfully, the bullet didn't lodge anywhere too dangerous so with a bit of gauze and antibiotics, Junpei would heal just fine.

All of them suffered electrical burns from Arcana Hermit's final Giga Spark attack, but it wasn't too big an issue. The bruises they had were of the same priority. Just less pain. That was how it went for physical injuries anyways.

It was their mindset in shambles.

After assessing Junpei's condition, SEES left for their dorm sleep deprived and lost. As the other members went to sleep it off as best they could, Mitsuru relayed her report via voice message to Ikutsuki.

Aigis had to be carried back she'd shorted out from the abnormally large intake of electricity. It didn't help that it was her Persona's weakness. She hoped to have some repairs for the android done at a laboratory.

Waking up in a cold sweat, Akihiko headed towards the kitchen, deciding that he needed something else to get him to calm down. Mixing together hot water and protein powder in a tall glass, he almost couldn't resist crushing the receptacle in his grip.

It had been such a long time since he'd seen Miki, dreams or otherwise. Familiar silver hair, braided… a bit on the thin side and always carrying around a ratty teddy bear—the last remnants of their parents.

Neither he nor his sister remembered their parents very much. They were flickers of times gone past, faded from memory. Anything he saw was a faint black and white image of an outdated film reel.

But no—Akihiko somehow found it in his heart to believe that the two's parents had left them at the orphanage for a good reason. Somehow, he thought that they were truly kind people; kind people in the wrong circumstances.

At first, the two of them were afraid to make contact with any of the other children. It was that period of time where they would keep to themselves and hope that none of the others were curious enough to ask about them.

And really, it didn't happen.

Miki, however, had lost her toy. One of the other kids, noticing how frantic she looked, helped her, however begrudgingly he might've seemed at the time. In fact he remembered the way that he brashly shouted, "Hey! Stay away from her!"

"The hell?! I was helping her find that damn teddy, dumbass!"

Later on, he pointed out that he might've had a sister complex.

The two of them stared each other down: one silver-haired child gritting his teeth; and the other brunet glaring back. Miki had to break the two of them up after she managed to find the stuffed toy. They'd punched and brawled their hearts out. After that, they cleared everything up.

Akihiko sighed, taking a sip of his drink as he finished his reminiscing. It was even more bland than usual.

"Hmph. You're at those damned protein shakes _again_? You know that shit isn't good for you," Shinjiro grumbled.

He looked back and shook his head. "When haven't you said that?"

Shinji rolled his eyes. "When you weren't drinking it," he pointed out. "You're not seriously moping around over all of this, are you?"

"W-Well I—!" Akihiko stopped himself and skulled some of the liquid. He very nearly slammed the cup onto the counter near him. He closed his eyes.

His arms folded. "Aki. You know that pretty much none of this is your fault? It's those bastards from Strega and those other guys with them. _They_ were the ones that planned it all out. Unless you're going to tell me that you saw it coming."

"I wanted to," he muttered.

Shinjiro shook his head. "Who was the one that said not to think about the past?" Glaring at him, a fist shot smack dab into his cheek. He reeled momentarily, staring at Akihiko as if to say, 'is that all you've got?' "Tch. Aki."

"What?"

"I didn't come down here to fight, as much as I wanna punch your lights out right now after that."

Akihiko sighed, pulling his arm back. "Then why?"

"Well…" Shinjiro shrugged. "I couldn't sleep so I was going to get a glass of water or something but…" He sighed once more. "Look. I know how much of a stubborn little bastard you are. So just wait and think it out. Rubbing those two tiny brain cells together shouldn't be too hard.

"Anyway. I _will_ get you back for that shit you pulled. Sleep with one eye open." He grinned a little as he retrieved that glass of water he so needed and returned to his room.

Staring at his shake, Akihiko downed the rest, wiping the remnants from his mouth. "No…" He smiled wryly. "He's probably right. We'll find a way to fix it. We have to find it." The three's lives could've been solely relying on them if they couldn't find a way out. They, as teammates, had to do the same.

Shinjiro breathed out as he swallowed some pills along with his water. His wrenching chest calmed down, heart rate normalising and Persona calmed down. He hadn't intended to give his friend a motivational speech or anything—just to get him to stop blaming himself again.

What a joke.

The pills he had were proof of that joke.

Lying awake on his bed, watching the ceiling, Ken had heard footsteps. His teeth clenched as his realisations came full force. It was Castor, Shinjiro's Persona.

Somehow, he'd heard the stomps in the night. Awoken by a loud slam, he and his mother jolted awake to an hour of absolute nightmare.

That was when he saw the looming figure, staring down at the two of them with a contemptuous gaze. It rushed in, fist trained on his mother. Another voice came from nearby, just behind. "No way! I've got this!"

In a blast of blue light, Castor struck.

It rampaged, killing the Shadow assaulting his mother and his mother too. In a visceral mess, Castor's steed gored the Shadow, swung it into her and stomped out her final breaths with its blade horn. Shadows were part of the problem, but Shinjiro was _his_ perpetrator.

Tightening his fists, he stubbornly forced himself not to cry. Shinjiro was going to pay, one way or another. His mother could find peace, the killer would be brought to justice…

The failure of that night's operation didn't discourage him at all. If anything, it spurred him to try even harder—he had to get stronger and when he did, he'd face Shinjiro and take his life. Now, he couldn't sleep.

He stood, laying a mat out onto the floor. First, without the spear. Then with. Ken growled to himself as he stretched.

Above, Yukari couldn't stop thinking about what had transpired that night. It had all gone so utterly wrong. Sure, they technically managed to win against Strega, but now they'd found out that Minato had been hoarding those Shadows they were supposed to be killing, that he'd gotten away with that Hermit Shadow as well, that they'd managed to kidnap both Fuuka and Sachiko…

She wasn't sure what to think.

Why was he keeping those Shadows instead of killing them? It was explaining why there had been so many cases of Apathy Syndrome nowadays. The rate at which people were turning vegetative was increasing exponentially. The amount of people, also.

According to Junpei, Minato would never have betrayed them—he was compelled to act because someone that he cared about was in danger.

Now, Yukari wondered whether she would have chosen to do the same as Minato. Pursing her lips, she closed her eyes and struggled still to fall asleep.

If it was her father… she probably would've done the same. What mattered now was that they needed to set things straight.

If SEES as a whole was to continue, it would put all three lives at stake. Many questions remained about Minato's allegiances, but it seemed clear that he felt he didn't have a choice. Otherwise, he wouldn't have joined them in that moment. Mitsuru had yet to figure out why he'd been keeping the Shadows, but ultimately, she knew that they had to ask him.

She couldn't really imagine what the chairman's reaction to the whole situation would be after this decided failure of an operation.

Either way, they needed a plan, and fast. In her heart, she knew that she needed to somehow continue with SEES, get rid of the Dark Hour and her father's burden. Mitsuru wasn't about to take no for an answer.

…

Static blurred through his dreams and a quiet, haunting, familiar voice spoke:

"Don't worry, Minato. I'll help you. We'll protect them together… I promise… Just as soon as you're all better…

"We can destroy them…"

…

He chuckled, listening to her debacles. In all seriousness, it was clear beyond a _shadow_ of a doubt that Minato could prove to be a problem. His smile grew.

* * *

**AN: Sorry, I know not a lot happened this chapter since it's more of a setup. I hope you like it still; this next arc is gonna be a doozy. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed! :D**


	39. Hiding Your Hand

There was nothing truer than her wanting to become more useful for her teammates in SEES.

As the Dark Hour went on, Fuuka felt the weight of her helplessness.

The next day, the three of them weren't allowed to go to school and were forced to stay inside the building. They were given some meagre food and fluids to keep them going, but nothing more than that.

After that night, Kishimaru had also been keeping an eye on them. The other three Shadow Whisperers had been chatting to them on and off (Yoko had been falling asleep periodically throughout the day and Hakori had been awake almost the whole time, _struggling_ to fall asleep) but once he was around, no-one said a whisper.

She wasn't sure what her friends were doing at school. Did they decide not to go to Tartarus? Were they going about their lives normally? To keep them safe? To keep each other safe?

Somehow, doubt had settled in that Strega and the Shadow Whisperers probably wouldn't leave the situation as it was—that is, leaving them alive.

If there was anyone that could help them right now, it was them. She refused to give up.

She didn't dare try summoning her Persona while they were there. Moreover, they'd taken their dangerous belongings, like Sachiko's gun, Evokers and even his compendium. The realisation came that she'd been able to talk to the members of SEES even without Lucia being summoned once before.

Fuuka tried first to probe into Minato's mind, seeing as he'd probably be familiar with it. It wouldn't necessarily freak him out and he knew how to talk back to her, by sending some silent messages through their mind link.

It was a strange experience poking into Minato's mind for communicating while they were on Tartarus runs. It was almost like it was a small, light space which she could fill in with speech and information, while the rest of it was blocked off. She wasn't sure how, or why.

Right now, that small space was gone. Her mind link wouldn't connect, vainly pushing against bricked walls of darkness. Minato appeared to be asleep, but something was off about it.

No-one got results when they tried only once, however. If she could somehow peer hard enough in, or stay for longer, perhaps she could find out something. Anything.

Breathing in, deeply, she branched her mind link into it, attempting to call out for his name. "Minato-kun? Can you hear me?" Fuuka asked, however hesitantly.

What reached her was the quiet, but distinct sound of what she'd describe as 'beached waves'. Waves, so far from home, having given up… letting out sighs of defeat. It sounded very much like when Minato was talking to other Shadows in Whispers. That was probably exactly what it was.

As Fuuka listened, however, she felt a migraine creep in at first, attacking her, piercing into her ears and infiltrating her mind. The beached wave sound grew louder, angrier. They rose with fury, attempting to swallow her consciousness.

She snapped the link. Fuuka shook her head. What was wrong with him?

With a sigh of resignation, she took a momentary rest. It seemed that none of the others had figured out what she was doing. There wasn't a sign of it, at least. She hoped at least, that the red haired member from before wouldn't notice this.

Her only other option now was to reach Sachiko. She hadn't been doing much since Kishimaru had arrived.

Breathing now even, she connected her mind to hers. It was always a strange sensation. An invisible rope tying together to separate minds. An odd, two way tunnel of thought.

Sachiko's mind was unlike any other mind that she'd linked to. Fuuka was used to connecting with other Persona users. Linking with someone else who apparently didn't have a Persona was a new experience.

Being submerged within water was not new. The significant amounts of darkness surrounding the depths were, however. Usually, if there was such shadows, they were held back in a noticeable, dome-like shape, segregating the light from dark. Fuuka ventured that the shape holding everything back was made of the same material, but had been repurposed to hide the umbra within.

In this case, however, Sachiko's light and dark was more interspersed in the water. It seemed to mix, but there were significant light spots too. However, Fuuka decided that she was done observing the state of her mind for then. "Sachiko-chan…"

Upon hearing her voice, Sachiko looked around the room, briefly falling on Fuuka before closing her eyes once again. It seemed she was a light sleeper. "Sachiko-chan, it's me, Fuuka. I… I um… I'm talking to you, using my Persona ability. If you transfer your thoughts to me, you can speak to me in secret."

Sachiko breathed out. "Like this?" she struggled to think.

Unlike when she talked to the other Persona users, their voices were loud and clear. Whether it was inexperience or because of her lack of Persona, it was a bit difficult to hear.

"Yes. I can't hear you very clearly, but you can hear me, yes?" Fuuka tried affirming.

She bit her lip. "Yes. Loud and clear," Sachiko replied.

"Okay. Thank you. I decided to try using my Persona ability to establish a mind link with you. It's not dangerous; I just use it to speak to people from farther away, or for… what I'm doing now," Fuuka explained. "I tried talking to Minato-kun, but for some reason, his mind is… inaccessible. I don't know why…

"A-Anyways I um… I was just testing this. I don't know whether this can help but… I want to get us out of here somehow…" Fuuka sighed. "My Persona ability isn't meant for fighting, so this is really all I can do without summoning it."

There was a pause. "Okay. I was trying to talk to the other Whisperers here to see if they had any weaknesses.

"And it seems they do. At least, from what they told us on the first night about their Shadow Whispering ability. To add on, none of them particularly like their leader for whatever reason. From what I've speculated thus far… They're afraid and or displeased with him.

"Whether it is the person himself, or because of what he chooses to do with his leadership over them… Or who is to say that he really is the 'leader'? I haven't reached any conclusions," Sachiko tried explaining.

So it seemed that Sachiko had been attempting to get more information out of them. "Okay…"

"Actually, Fuuka-san. I have two things to ask: You said that you can't talk to Minato? And do you even know how this telepathy thing works?"

"Y-Yes. Sort of, anyways. You see… there's a sort of light space where my voice is able to reach you, in an endless sea. The other space is occupied by some sort of darkness. I don't know exactly what it is. But I can't talk to people if they have too much darkness. Minato is like that right now."

Sachiko admittedly, didn't have much of an idea as to how Persona ability really worked. She could only try to look at it from a mildly scientific standpoint. "Hm… Alright, let's take a step back. The Persona ability is the physical manifestation of a mask or façade that the host uses to protect themselves? At least, that's sort of what Minato told me before."

She furrowed her brow, but gave Sachiko a 'yes' in response.

"And the mask… you would say… does it come from the mind, or the soul?"

Fuuka bit her lip. She'd been told to gather information by Yukari and Mitsuru once before. But did she get any information on how exactly Personas worked and where they come from? "I… I'm not sure. I call these mind links because I can put my voice through into your… oh."

Surprisingly, Sachiko laughed. "Well, either way… I was just thinking that you sorta… transmitted some signals using your Persona. Whether it's from your mind or your soul doesn't really matter at this point. But that's how you get your voice across. That's what I'm thinking."

"W-Wow…" Truthfully, Fuuka was overwhelmed by how quickly Sachiko could draw any sort of conclusion from the information she just gave her.

There was a sigh. "Well, it's just a hypothesis, but it's the best shot we have, isn't it?"

"I suppose so… But if you say that I can do this by getting out a signal of some sort…" Fuuka furrowed her brow. "What if it—

"Wasn't just voice?" Fuuka blushed as they'd managed to come to the same conclusion at the same time.

"Not bad. I was entertaining that idea just now…" Sachiko smiled to herself. "If you were able to change the type of signals that you were sending me… You could change it to smell, touch… You know. Sensory illusions."

Fuuka pursed her lips. "You really think I can do that? What if… it doesn't work?"

Sachiko gave a non-committal grunt. "Well, don't sell yourself short before you've even tried it now. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work, but we have time to try. Otherwise, I'm stuck just waiting until Kishimaru leaves or something," she reasoned.

Right. Until there was another opportunity, they just had to try what they could. "O-Okay. I'll do my best."

"Good. Try changing the signals so that an image appears… wherever you are. It can be whatever you want. Just uh… don't make it scary or something."

…

Deep in musty darkness, the glow of flames illuminated two, three forms.

"Will it be much longer?" Takaya questioned.

The two fighters had seen better days, but Medea had been able to heal most of their wounds. What was left was for their energy to return to them.

Chidori dismissed her Persona. "You just need some rest now. If I didn't catch anything, your body should do the rest."

Takaya's previously blank expression grew into a thin smile. "I see… This frail body may be of some use yet," he chuckled to himself, leaning back and closing his eyes.

Watching Chidori swallow another pill, Jin gave a sigh. "When are we going to attack them next?" he asked.

He thought for a moment. "Well… We should strike while they are still recovering. Perhaps… tomorrow night? They won't be able to sense us thanks to Chidori. It will be a… pleasant surprise attack."

Jin nodded. "But we have to make sure that the hostages can't do anything. From what I've been hearing, Arisato's been out of it. He won't even eat or drink anything. Those Kagami and Yamagishi girls, though…" He furrowed his brow. "Well, they shouldn't be that much trouble but we should be careful anyways."

"Maybe… we should bring Arisato… He's more or less under our control. We can use it to our advantage. The others can figure something out to keep the other two," Chidori suggested.

He scoffed. "Well, they better do their job properly, but I think that'd be for the best," Jin agreed. "Takaya?"

Humming to himself, he then spoke, "I believe so. But perhaps… we should get into contact with our benefactor?"

…

He looked up at the sliding doors' sigh.

"Yo, Yuka-tan!" Normally, he would've give her a wave, but the nurses had told him to limit his movement as much as possible. "Come to see little ol' me?"

She tried to suppress her sigh. She really did. Junpei was just so full of energy—a huge contrast to what things were like at the dorm. Things were tense. No-one seemed to know what to do. "Do you see anyone else in the room?" she retorted.

He just chuckled. "Well, I'm flattered. What's up?"

Yukari furrowed her brow in thought as she took a seat next to his bed. "Things well… I can't really say things have been going on at the dorm. We're in total lockdown!"

"Oh yeah. 'cause they might come after us and all? And they still have those three, huh?" Junpei looked up at the ceiling. "I… I actually really wanna help them out, but can't really do that, yanno?" He made a clumsy gesture with his chin towards his wound.

Sigh. "Hey, don't move too much…" Yukari scolded weakly, with Junpei giving her a sheepish grin. Yeah, he knew he probably shouldn't have done that. "Well… It's just that… Ugh, I mean, everyone is so on edge. We don't know what to do. We can't move forward even though we might want to. It's just…"

"Frustrating?" Junpei suggested. "Heh, I know how you feel! I'm still stuck here, after all."

Yukari opened her mouth, to respond, but she realised very quickly that he was right. "Yeah. Well, it could've been worse if we didn't get to heal you… I just… I wish I could do something about it. I have a bad feeling about what's going to come up next. I don't want to be a sitting duck."

"Yukari."

She looked towards him, catching how he'd said his name. "Too soon? But well… We just have to hang in there. Besides, I doubt that they'd just be doing nothing. They have Fuuka-chan and Minato! And I can't speak for that Sachiko girl but… I'd bet they're trying what they can."

He looked expectantly up at her for some sort of response, snarky or not. Yukari just smiled. "Yeah. Just gotta hope." She stood up. "Uh, thanks for uh… listening to me. I didn't mean to rant, but…"

"Nah, it's no problem Yuka-tan. Some games would be good though. It's boring just waiting for everything to heal." Junpei grinned.

Yukari pursed her lips for a moment. "Oh. Well… I could bring you your COMP, if you want?"

"Make sure to bring that one game called Alternate Tales of the Goddess: Devil Survivor!"

"Right, right… See ya, Junpei."

* * *

**AN: Hey guys! Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter! **

**Now's a good time to tell you that if you want to see the prologue to the sequel of this fanfic, you should go read Persona 4: Falling Inside the Black. Anyways...**

**Later!**


	40. Listen to Weakness

Finally!

Kishimaru had exited the room, leaving the three alone to talk to. In particular, Shina breathed out a gaping sigh. "Gods, I wondered how long it was going to take…" she muttered to herself.

"Shina-san, if you don't mind me asking…" She turned towards Sachiko, eyes narrowed. Wariness, she presumed. "Why do you express such distaste for Kishimaru's presence?" Now, she was starting to miss her little notebook full of clues to write in. Unfortunately, it had been confiscated from her.

She paused to think. "There are a few reasons," Shina said vaguely. It seemed that still, she wasn't willing to give away information.

A chuckle came from the corner Hakori had taken residence in. "Are you trying to get that out of us? That's kinda cute."

Her flinch was suppressed. It wasn't because of his suggestion—it was totally correct. His tone had struck her as familiar. Eerily and uncomfortably so.

Yawning and rubbing her eyes, for what seemed to be the seventeenth time she'd done it that day, Yoko murmured, "Kishimaru… is a meanie…"

Was his demeanour the problem? He did seem to be quite the serious type, but that didn't necessarily constitute a full reason to hate him. Looking at Shina and Hakori, they'd turned back to their Launchpad and book respectively.

Closed eyes, and a breath. Inside her mind, an image of Fuuka had appeared, faint and wisp-like in the endless sea within. "I'll try talking to them some more. But good job with the image here. I can see you clearly." The image smiled slightly. "I was just thinking about… Well, are you actually able to see into others' thoughts?"

The picture of Fuuka shook her head. "I-I don't know. I've never tried that… I can sense Shadow weaknesses and I suppose it wouldn't be that different… But I don't want to pry into anyone's business without their consent," she trailed off. "D-Do you _want_ me to try? Are you going to use that for something?"

Sachiko nodded. "In fact, you can practice on me. I want to see whether it's possible to sense weaknesses and information from people. It might help me with figuring out what's wrong with the group dynamic here," she explained.

"A-Are you sure?" she asked once more.

There was a glance towards Minato. She reassured herself in mutters that they were going to get out of there. Hesitation was strong—she wasn't looking for her history to be revealed. "No, not really," Sachiko admitted.

Fuuka almost breathed out a sigh of relief. "I'll keep practicing with the images… But I think… Don't worry if you want to ask for help."

Gritted teeth. "Right. Sorry."

Mind refocusing on reality, Sachiko observed the three. Sleeping—she wasn't versed in illnesses or disorders, but she suspected that Yoko suffered from narcolepsy. Hakori, having been inhaling books the whole day and on days prior, rarely slept. She suspected insomnia. Normal, for the both of them.

Piano and trumpeting samples from Shina's Launchpad played lightly, experimentally, before altering in pitch to form a sort of melody filled with deliberate minors and accidentals. James Bond. Maybe a composer or music enthusiast. "I suppose it won't really change anything. Because if you really wanted to know, you'd have to talk to Kishimaru himself, and I doubt that he'd actually say anything so…

"Thing is… besides the fact that he's basically bush bashed his way to leadership here and that he's kind of a prick, Kishimaru's a lot different to us," Shina began, never taking her eyes away from the Launchpad. Hakori threw a sceptical look at her, which she ignored. "That is, his motivations for doing the things we do."

Sachiko raised an eyebrow. Yoko plopped down next to her and looked her straight with eyes gleaming widely, wildly, with moonlight. She hoped if her flinch went noticed. "He thinks that it's stupid to have a death wish."

One million responses to that statement were off and running.

"And… he's out for revenge," Hakori added. "Said that the reason why was because of that Minato kid over there." Her eyes followed his gesture and she nodded, very slightly. "But hey. I don't know what he's going to do with him or whatever."

Furrowing her brow, the conversation seemed to end there. Yoko giggled. "Someone's worried about him," she assumed, then fell asleep on the floor again.

Assumed right.

Sachiko pinched the bridge of her nose and sat near Minato's spot. Once there, she heard Fuuka say, "Um… do you see anything? Near your feet?"

She gave the room a scan. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then, she _felt_.

Warmth. There was some give to its touch and was… furry? She saw a grey and white shiba-inu standing near her, eerily real and staring at her with shining red eyes. Retreating, concentrating, Sachiko whispered, "Yes…?"

"O-Oh! Does anything about it look out of place? Anything that doesn't look real?"

Sachiko shook off her surprise. "It looks and _feels_ very real."

"Moving?"

The replica of Koromaru panted. The sound. He scratched his ear with his right back leg. It was muted at first. Slowly, his collar's jingles and jangles played in crescendo to happy choruses. "Yes. And there's a bit of sound."

She saw the others, not once moving or reacting to the illusory dog. As Sachiko blinked, the image of Koromaru disappeared. "S-Sorry, I lost concentration."

"It's progress. It's harder to do that than just having that image in my head, right?"

Fuuka sounded affirmation. "I guess because… sending those kinds of signals with my Persona is a bit difficult… It's usually meant for sensing life and connecting life to other people and it's the same…

"My Persona amplifies what thoughts I have to you and… I'm not really well versed in anything like this, but I can change the signals to reach your brain and change what you see through my connection with you."

She snorted in laughter. "Well, I'm not a doctor either. Awesome job. You should work on doing multiple and holding out your concentration for longer."

"Y-Yes! I'll do my best," Fuuka agreed.

"And…" Sachiko bit her lip. "Thing is, Fuuka-san… I really want to find a way out of here. And we can all escape…" She paused as she reordered her thoughts into words. "What I'm saying is that… you want to get out of here so…"

Fuuka wondered if the confusion she had for her words was on her face, too. She'd paused again, the sensation of thickening tension pouring over her skin in dollops. "I mean to say that I'm relying on you to help me. In fact, I'd say that you're doing most of the heavy lifting with your Persona. And… well, you can't help me if I don't let you.

"I'm trusting you with not trying to look into anything you think might be more private."

Her words seemed to flee before she could reach them. "R-Really? You're sure?"

Thoughts of Minato and Kishimaru crossed her mind. Those of her mother and her father. In a moment of relative clarity, bigger pictures involving the murders that she'd been pining to solve and possible removal of the Dark Hour were painted in mind. Hesitation was brushed away. The desire to escape, bring justice and to go back to focusing on their futures—her resolve, as clear and sharp as her wit, engraved a single, decisive answer.

"Yes."

She was speechless once again. The conviction in her voice rung true. Breathe in. Breathe out. If she was sure… "Okay. I'll do what I can."

…

Stern faced, with the hint of a wry smile, Mitsuru Kirijo could admit one thing:

She was at a loss.

Her attempt to dive into school work was fruitless. As much as she wanted to concentrate on school work that by all means, should've been important, her mind simply wouldn't rest and wouldn't stop to dwell on something so trivial. It frustrated her to no end.

It wouldn't stop thinking of the three's capture; how much Arisato and Yamagishi's absence debilitated the team.

After all, Penthesilea's communicative and scanning abilities only worked so well at the lower levels of Tartarus. Yamagishi's Persona simply had more power and was purposed for it. She also allowed them to better locate the Shadows that appeared on the full moon.

Arisato as well, despite his antisocial nature and questionable source of power, was a valuable asset to the team and a surprising strategist due to his raw experience in handling different Shadows. His Persona ability was also shockingly strong, even if he chose not to use it often.

If there was anything to be confirmed by the events two days prior, it was that Arisato had been harbouring other full moon Shadows. By keeping them alive, the numbers of Lost had been rising at an unprecedented rate. Despite that—although it did not necessarily excuse his actions—he had a certain loyalty to SEES.

Mitsuru knew that it couldn't really be because of the team bond, even if he'd been starting to get along with more members. It was the other girl that had been captured and that she'd met quite a while ago. Kagami, she recalled.

Her pen struggled to move and university level content felt like hot mush in her brain. She wasn't absorbing the information. She stood and started heading towards the lower levels of the dormitory.

Either way… Their three lives were at stake when it came to the Dark Hour and Tartarus. This was her obstacle: if they performed any activity in the Dark Hour, Strega and their affiliates would kill them.

But she knew. Mitsuru did _not_ want to simply do nothing.

It was an impossibility. Thoughts of her father flitted into her mind's eye as she approached her motorcycle. Gripping the handle of the motorcycle, she put on a helmet and gritted her teeth.

Disposing of the Dark Hour was the burden she'd chosen to carry for her father and she couldn't let the situation lie.

At this point, she wasn't even considering that Strega likely wouldn't stop at just blackmail to stop them from doing anything. It was a secondary possibility.

If school couldn't override her rampant thoughts, then all that was left was to come back to the dorm with a clearer mind and solve the problem. The roar of her steed's engine lowered to a humming purr that buzzed with higher intensity as she set herself down the road.

…

Rhythmic blows in ones and one-twos _almost_ made the beat to a song.

Aki'd thrown himself into _more_ training and _more_ of those damned protein drinks. He was determined to get stronger. Maybe do something about the rut they'd fallen into.

It was kinda nice to see that he'd found something to drive himself towards other than Miki, although the bonehead probably still had that at his core. Great stuff, although he could lay off the protein shakes and eat some more vegetables or lentils or something.

He could also lay off practicing his boxing during the night. Shinjiro was stuck staring at the ceiling, kept awake by the smacks and pounding coming from the meathead's room.

Wonder if the others were also kept up by Aki's incessant training. Especially the kid. He was the only other guy on the floor besides that training manic near him. Bit depressing.

Thinking of Ken left weighty resignation on his chest.

A sigh. Truthfully, he was fully expecting his death to come soon. He wondered how much he could really care when the whole team was in shambles after that fight. Actually… Aki was more like Minato than he'd probably ever realise.

If given the choice and Miki was in that girl's place, would Aki want to keep her safe and join them too? Bit of a sobering thought.

But past was past.

Always preaching that to Aki, he was more like a really shitty priest. Shinjiro rolled his eyes at the thought.

Then the thumping doubled.

Oh no.

Shinjiro was of course thinking about how Ken might've wanted to get revenge on him and become stronger. It was a train of thought he could follow.

His eyelids drifted closed before being shocked awake by another muffled thud coming from another room.

But dear god, did both of them have to be practicing and training in their rooms at half past twelve in the damn morning?! This was laser guided karma, he swore.

…

Ken concluded that front flips needed more practice.

* * *

**AN: Hey guys! Man, it's weird not writing as Minato... I think my questions for this chapter are about the tone of voice for the narration! **

**I use third person for this story and most of the time, but I've been interested in keeping a distinct tone of voice since this arc is a bit experimental and goes off the beaten track a little bit. ****Like, Minato's narration is _usually_ blunt and decisive, but here in a different character's point of view, the words and styles of sentences are a bit different. I'm wondering if it's noticeable or not. Regardless!**

**Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	41. Callback Hijack

The arrival of six in the evening was punctuated by the engine cranks.

As Mitsuru strode into the lobby, now completely, and utterly focused, she found Takeba standing near the counter. As she was about to greet her and ask what she was frowning for, Takeba clenched her fists and spoke—demanded, "Senpai, we need to talk."

Closing her eyes, Mitsuru braced herself for any set of questions involving the Kirijo Group, Eiichiro Takeba. "Yes?"

Yukari's eyes bored into hers. "Look, I… You know as well as I do that we aren't on very good terms with each other," she began. Mitsuru pursed her lips. Was it something to do with the strained relationship they shared together or…? "But I want to put that aside for now. There's something more important than any distrust in the group and that is the fact that we need to get together and find a way to get Fuuka-chan, Minato-kun and Sachiko-san back from Strega."

That was the other option. Mitsuru smiled ever so slightly, seeming pensive for a moment. "I agree." Her arms folded, standing tall as trepidation left her.

Biting her lip still, Yukari forged onward. "The question is… do we have a plan?"

Mitsuru's mind whizzed through possibilities as she spoke, "The trouble with our situation is that it's likely they will kill the hostages if we try to take any course of action relating to Tartarus or the Shadows."

"That's the hard part. What I'm thinking is that it will take some time for Strega and the Shadow Whisperers to notice that we're out there."

"They will also take some time to find us due to their injuries. The question is whether they will bring Yamagishi, Arisato and Kagami or leave them wherever they're staying."

She sighed. There were too many factors and not enough power to counteract them. Still, Yukari didn't want to leave this alone, especially since there were people that she cared about trapped in their enemies' clutches. Whether or not it was a more superficial amount of care didn't matter. "What about your Persona then? I know it's… It's not as strong as Fuuka's Persona, but…"

"Well… There isn't harm in trying, I suppose," she conceded. "I'll try it tonight."

Yukari nodded, intending to see whether any of the other group members needed a pep talk and to explain what their plans were. Knowing them, they might not have needed it.

"Takeba." She turned to face Mitsuru's voice. "We'll save them."

Paused, she breathed out, preparing her response. "Yeah. We have to."

…

Even with closed eyes, she didn't, couldn't sleep.

Her mind whirred with activity as signal after signal was carefully selected, created and transported using her Persona's telepathic ability.

"We're almost there, but you look like you need to unwind for a bit." Sachiko's eyebrows knitted as she watched the image in her mind's eye flicker, falter before disappearing. "One more time and then we'll try Minato."

Fuuka exhaled, the breath she'd been holding in finally noticed. Sachiko was probably right. She had to admit that after concentrating for so long, working her mind and Persona towards transmitting the right signals, she was getting tired. The headache she had wasn't helping things much, either. "R-Right…"

She leaned back into the couch were Minato was still sleeping, thoughts torn between curses and pride. Curses, because she wished that he could wake up and help them. Pride, because Fuuka, who she realised was not a loud, or assertive personality, had been working herself through fatigue to fine tune her Persona's ability to help them.

Sachiko never would've figured at first that she'd be friends with any of the members of SEES, but Fuuka seemed to be an exception. While withdrawn and quieter compared to pretty much everyone at the school, she was a perceptive and hard-working individual. In her opinion, they were traits to be admired.

Maybe they hadn't really opened up of their own volition, but Sachiko wouldn't be uncomfortable with saying that she felt a certain camaraderie with Fuuka. Couldn't exactly pinpoint it exactly, but it was there. She smiled slightly at the thought before turning to Minato, running her fingers through his locks.

Peaceful, huh?

Silently, Fuuka spoke to Sachiko, "I think I'm ready," before sitting on a nearby chair.

She closed her eyes, waiting for the mirage to appear. "It's surprising what happens when you can't procrastinate for a day…" Sachiko snorted at the thought.

Fading into existence was a humanoid figure, slowly coalescing with colour and detail: his uniform, the armband, his mp3, pale skin, gunmetal gaze and signature blue hair, covering his right eye. "It's actually even more than a day," the image reminded.

"Mm. Also great job. Sounds like his low, dulcet tones," Sachiko joked.

Fuuka giggled, her smile showing on Minato's face. "Okay…"

The image of Minato dove into the sea of Sachiko's soul, diving past wafting experiences. Before, she'd barely scraped the surface of what she could explore.

Faint, summery light mixed with sweat reached her nose. Clamours of crowds and a voice saying 'U-Um… You look uh… pr-beautiful,' and 'just Shadows' floated past her ears.

Sachiko's own voice echoed, 'But that would mean that there are other people out there… with the same powers' from far away, carrying the city noise and afternoon colours.

Her voice again. 'Close your eyes.' Strongly resonating with this memory was a heady air. At first, hard to grasp, slipping through her fingers, then a distinct interlock of lavender and mint, the tarnish of iron, twang of melon bread coming together in aphrodisiac musk. Fuuka _immediately_ pushed such a memory away, feeling the second hand embarrassment smack her in the face.

Then, shouting crested the distance:

'Just be _normal_ for once! No more 'shadow whispering' this, 'using shadow whispers to solve crimes' that!'

'I solved a case.'

'Did you now?' Scoff. 'Stop trying to be someone you're not. Why don't you make friends? Spend more time with your mother.'

'You can't tell me what to do. I thought parents were supposed to support their children no matter the endeavour they're interested in. You don't care.'

'See, you're ignoring me again. You barely invest _anything_ into me because I'm not the child you wanted. Yeah, I _did_ hear you. You wanted a normal boy in my place. Not a daughter. Not a freak. Hey… What are you…? Agh…! What?! You can't take that I'm right?!'

Fuuka screwed her eyes and ears shut as the voices rang with such volume, frequency, animosity and defeat. These were things that she knew she shouldn't be hearing or looking at. She thought she felt the tremors shake her soul with the most intense magnitude, sending shockwaves of disgust and sorrow to rage in her chest.

The image sank deeper still, almost reaching the edge of the darkness. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a festering recollection, carrying a similar pungency to the kiss she'd almost begun witnessing before realising what it was.

However, Fuuka could feel her body and soul immediately reverberate with terror, panic and fear. And her neck, seething with ghosts of hands—coarse, calloused, warm and soft hands, repurposed for an intention they shouldn't have gripped.

"S-Sachiko… I'm sorry…" she whispered. The mirage of Minato resurfaced, breathing heavily.

She pursed her lips, at first wondering what Fuuka had seen or heard or… really anything. "Are you… okay?" Sachiko asked. She very much wanted to kick herself for such an inappropriate question.

Fuuka licked her lips, trying to rein in the sensations, emotions and experiences that had shaken her so. "Y-Yeah, I just… need a minute…"

"Maybe I should expect more people getting traumatised when they have to deal with the inside of my head." Sachiko grimaced at the thought. Wonder if that was how Minato felt. "Are you sure you want to go through with… helping Minato?"

As she and her Persona settled, she replied, "Y-Yes…"

Frowning still, Sachiko asked, "Alright. Can you tell me what it was like going through my thoughts and memories?"

"Um… It was sort of like I was swimming through a deep sea… More recent memories were sort of at the top, or I don't know… It might've been what you were thinking about at the time being at the surface," Fuuka tried to explain.

She nodded to herself. "I was thinking about going on what it would be like to go on another date with Minato," Sachiko replied. "I'm more than looking forward to getting rid of this claustrophobia." A sigh escaped her.

"Me too… Then, as I swam deeper, less recent memories came up. I-I'm sorry! I think I almost saw a memory of you two kissing!"

Sachiko's cheeks turned pink in embarrassment. "U-Uh… Well, I'm guessing you passed that one quickly so…"

"Then after that… I heard a lot of shouting from another memory… It was really loud—I almost couldn't block it out," Fuuka admitted. "And lastly… I got closer to a mass of darkness, nearer to the bottom…" She struggled to keep from tearing up.

Her brow furrowed. "Fuuka-san?"

"Did Minato actually…?"

Blood ran icy cold. Sachiko pursed her lips. "He doesn't know. He didn't _mean_ it but…" She fell silent. "A-Anyways uh… thanks. F-From what I understand… Depending on how recent the memory was or uh… how much I actually want to _think_ about a certain memory, they come at different depths. You only went straight down, right?"

Fuuka nodded.

"It might mean that if you went in different directions, there may be different memories as well." Still, Sachiko gave a sigh. "But that's for later. Let's try getting through to Minato."

She could hear the weariness and fear shaking Sachiko's voice. "R-Right. Um… Sachiko-chan…" Taking her silence as a gesture to continue, she continued with, "If you um… want to talk to anybody about anything then I-I don't mind…"

A sigh. "Yeah… Thanks…"

After disconnecting the mind link between them, Fuuka took a breather, refocusing her thoughts towards Minato. She could do this. At least, she hoped so. Her Persona's power channelled towards Minato's mind.

This time, she transferred an image. One he perhaps trusted. More than her. Fuuka became aware of his slow, calm breathing, seeming deeper than sleep, just before a comatose state. Hibernating, she thought.

The image of Sachiko formed, copying her voice as it pressed against the shadows encapsulating the sea of his soul. "H-Hey, Minato—" Fuuka cut herself off before going further. She realised that he might recognise if she hesitated, said the wrong thing, or couldn't sound like Sachiko, something bad might happen.

At this point, she wasn't experiencing any headaches like the last time, so Fuuka hoped she'd be safe from them as long as Minato thought it was Sachiko speaking to him.

Again, she heard faint whispers which she couldn't decipher. Maybe…! Fuuka quickly opened up a mind link between her and Sachiko, trying to transfer the sound to her.

"They say you never realise what you have until it's dead and gone. The pain of hindsight being 20/20."

Sachiko blinked as the low voice spoke. It was like Minato's voice, but not. Slightly deeper, almost distorted by static. Still, she listened, murmuring a translation for Fuuka.

"What you wish you could've done instead. What you wish you could've taken back. What you wish you could've said, way back. The courage to have said. What you wish you'd have known. Instead of just nodding along to what they'd said, you'd now choose to say, 'is there any other way I could help?'"

"The memories you wanted to hold on to, but ended up slipping through your fingers. The memories you want to experience over and over again. An addiction to the happiness they provided only grew, as pain filled in the gaps created over time: the desperate longing for what once was.

"The memories of happy friends, talking, spending time with each other, laughing about potential children, about exchanging musical interests or about plans for the future which might not happen, but were fun to indulge in. The memories now poisoned bittersweet as friends were no longer friends, but artefacts of irreversible time."

"The emotions you remember, but cannot truly experience ever again. Just a faint remnant of things that you once took joy in. Things you smiled for. Similarly, things that kept you up at night, crying your eyes out for, filling your chest with an uncontrollable tightness."

"The things you desire from these now meaningless memories. The embraces you craved. The kisses you missed. The sound of comfort, soothing your chest. Soft touch, channelling warmth through a chapped, blistered body. The tears that you wanted to shed, as you found yourself all by your lonesome, wondering whether anyone valued you and your existence, or whether or not your relationship with them, romantic or platonic, meant something more than just surface deep affection."

"The crying, coming from the now and from then. They are not and will never be the same."

"Why do you become an addict to things long past? Things that you know would cause pain? That familiar tightening of your chest? The stress, the shame, the sorrow, the grieving, the rage, the envy. The happiness."

"And no. It doesn't matter anymore. Why bother digging for relics of times gone past when you know the excitement it would elicit?"

"I won't know exactly what you might've gone through. What I listed may not have applied to you. The things you'd never say aloud to a stranger—the hopes and dreams you might've held onto, but let go of somewhere along the way. The friends you could lose, or are now only playing insignificant roles in an orchestra that lost and gained both new brass and percussionists. So…"

"Sleep easy and hush."

"Sleep easy, my one and only friend. Remember, I'm always with you… protecting you… And that like everyone else, I distribute judgement upon you equally, for that is the only love I bring."

"Sleep easy and relax in this sweet, but momentary embrace. These words I whisper to you now, the wisdom I impart, the care and concern I have for you… Know they are genuine and that I would never lie. Know that I am always with you and will answer you, when no-one else will."

"I promise you, Minato."

* * *

**AN: Mm, like it? Next chapter, the setup for the arc will come to a close so the action should be starting soon. Sorry for the whole delay with this chapter though! I've been having a bit of trouble juggling my schoolwork and me just having inspiration to write things which aren't fanfiction related.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	42. The Bet That Makes Or Breaks It

She snapped her head towards the door.

Her fingers snaked around the knob, trying to punch down the uprising bile in her throat. Shina anticipated who exactly the guest was from his simple knock: strong, measured and demanding entrance like an insistent metronome. "What do you want?" she asked, trying to keep the venom out of her voice.

Kishimaru, with his usual glower, paid her only a glance before looking around the confines of the room. "Is Minato-kun awake?" he asked her. If he noticed her distaste for him, she wouldn't ever know.

But of course. It had to be _Minato_. "Wouldn't say so. Do you need him for something?" Shina struggled to articulate her words, as if they were the staccato of electronic drums.

Once again came his curt affirmation.

She sighed. "Well, I can always _try_ wake him… Or make them wake him."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "That would be the best course of action."

Shina took his words as yet another wolf in sheep's clothing: a suggestion so incredibly insistent, as if he barely resisted snapping his teeth at her. 'You should already know what I want.' Still, she kept herself from showing outward signs of annoyance and approached the sleeping Minato.

Only the steady rise and fall of his chest betrayed the notion of a comatose state, or even death. Even then, that small motion seemed tenuous in the face of the cold that seemed to billow from his breath, like a beast nearing spring in hibernation. "Does anything have _any_ luck waking him?" Minato's state only served to exacerbate her irritation. How the hell was she supposed to wake him?

"Hah. Maybe if you blare some Iron Maiden, we'll wake the 'Moonchild'." Sachiko smirked, clearly knowing what buttons to press when it came to Shina.

She rolled her eyes. Metal.

Without so much as a yawn, or stretch, Minato came to life. "Hey. Sleeping beauty. Kishimaru wants you." With a sigh the length of River Styx itself, he stood to full height. Every shift from his limbs creaked with rust, barely resisting the freeze of rigor mortis.

Seeing him lose balance on his next step, Sachiko managed to catch him and pulled him onto her shoulder. "Hey. You need to eat or drink something before you start moving around," she warned. Paying no attention to his shake, 'no', Sachiko reached for a glass of water and some leftover bread.

Her wrist was wrenched away, burning her skin with the friction of finger shackles. Sachiko turned back to him, agape. She whispered to him, "What's happened to you?"

Blizzards of wrath smothered the air from their souls, as if trying to claw the sea's energy from it. Fuuka clearly sensed a wall of darkness, the colour of night, fending off her mind link's breaches. They stood, encroaching, imposing, like the walls of Troy.

Memories cascaded in a deluge as Sachiko struggled away from his death grip. A mix of simmering anger and fear reminiscent of paternal arguments and attempted strangulation broiled in her stomach. Her eyes darted from her wrist, to hands, to eyes, to hands, to wrists, back and forth.

Clunk, thud!

Sachiko rubbed her forehead, heart beating at more than prestissimo. Minato was down on the floor, struggling to regain a grip on the situation. "Sorry about that. I'll be sure to feed him," he murmured before exiting. "We need him alive after all."

Shina kept her eye on Kishimaru and Minato's backs before picking up her Launchpad. _We_? It would be a tenuous assumption to really think that the Shadow whisperers really needed the way that _Kishimaru_ needed Minato.

He might've found them and gathered them together in the one place, but if there was one thing that Kishimaru was open with when they first met, it was this: He was in it for revenge.

Hakori exchanged glances with Yoko and Shina, who'd also been spectating intently. Talk about melodrama, huh? He returned to his book, caring amazingly little for Minato and Sachiko's recent scuffle. Yoko on the other hand, blanked on thoughts as she was about to process what had happened and felt the Sandman's onslaught.

As the two of them left, Fuuka rushed over to Sachiko. "A-Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah…" All the while, her eyes were trained on her wrist. Whatever that was, it wasn't him. Why didn't it want to eat or drink? Why did it appear when he woke up? When he was sleeping, was it Minato or it? Was it the voice she heard before? It sounded close to his voice, but the things that it said were things Sachiko never thought Minato would think about. _It_ couldn't be him, could it?

'The tears that you wanted to shed, as you found yourself all by your lonesome, wondering whether anyone valued you and your existence, or whether or not your relationship with them, romantic or platonic, meant something more than just surface deep affection.'

Did it mean the relationship that they had? Was it really something he wondered about?

'The friends you could lose, or are now only playing insignificant roles in an orchestra that lost and gained both new brass and percussionists.'

Was it talking about his past?

Her mind was bombarded with realisations. The realisation that there were more things that had been keeping him up at night than he'd ever let on. The realisation that this voice could've been him.

If it was his Shadow, why did he feel that way? If it wasn't, then why was it telling him these things? What exactly was she supposed to believe about him? Why couldn't he see that there were people that cared for him? Why did he refuse their help?

Shina said absentmindedly, "Guess your boyfriend's gone off the deep end."

She gritted her teeth.

"Shut up!"

Her glare was thrust at Shina, eyes swimming with hot tears. "Sachiko-chan…" Fuuka never thought she'd see or _feel_ her friend lose her composure. The tremors in her shadow steeped soul shook apart her mind and heart with every brutal thought, transmitted through Lucia's power.

Shina shrugged however, merely going back to adjusting her Launchpad samples.

She heard Sachiko's voice stumble through her mind link, struggling to keep herself articulate. "Fuuka. We're going to escape. It's almost the Dark Hour."

"What about Minato-kun?"

"_That_ wasn't him…" Sachiko growled, attempting to deny herself of tears. As she looked upon the bread and empty glass of water, she and Fuuka became acutely aware of the anger and distance she was putting on between her and… _it_.

…

Minato rested his chin upon weathered wood, all too 'happy' to be given a rest. Across from him, Kishimaru put down some food and water, fingers steepled and mind in thought. "You really should eat, or at least drink something," he implored.

Through half-lidded eyes, Minato murmured, "I'm not hungry or thirsty."

"But from what I've heard and seen…" He knitted his eyebrows, staring down his old friend's gaunt—almost skeletal—form. "You haven't once been seen awake for two days straight. You only need tomorrow or some days after and you could die from dehydration."

He just chuckled. Kishimaru felt his split second relief become trodden as Minato gave him a thin smile. "Look at you. You're so concerned. I thought I told you I wasn't on your side. Have you already forgotten, or are you a liar?"

"Yeah. I'm a liar," he murmured. "Look, Minato… You were my friend. You… _We_ used to be happy." Kishimaru suppressed a smile as Polaroid memories printed and dried in his mind's eye. Playing away on Famicoms trying to find the Mew glitch together. Running free on the shrine's playground playing games of tag. Going back and forth on the swing set, flinging their legs upwards towards the setting sun as if believing that they could touch it with their toes.

Minato wasn't sure he wanted to indulge Kishimaru as similar, but bitterer recollections poked their heads out on Memory Lane. Getting their files corrupted when they encountered the Missingno glitch and having to start their games over. Watching the other scrape their knee and stop the game while he washed out his wound. Cresting the sunset, ever reminded that their houses, empty of each other, would always be their final destination.

When he remembered, it just wasn't enough. You can't keep re-watching the same movie one million times and pray that it doesn't become dull. "Then you, of all people, should know that all things, even those deemed good, are doomed to end."

Kishimaru grasped his hand—his cold infused hand. "I know… But… I don't want us to be apart. It's been this long. Why can't you come with me? I can ditch the Shadow whisperers… I mean, I know they never wanted me to become their leader…" He tried to smile, but the cracks kept showing through. "You can get away from SEES if you wanted to… I don't know. Maybe I _could_ become friends with Kagami-san if she'd give me a chance."

"I'm sorry. I _can't_ feel the same way," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want to care."

Kishimaru clenched his teeth. "Then at least let me confess something to you, which I've been waiting to say for a long time." Taking Minato's silence as an invitation, he murmured, "I've thought of you as my friend for the longest time. But since you've left, I've grown to try hating you so that I can feel better about myself.

"I discovered I had the power to talk to Shadows when I heard the voices coming from the people who used to bully me before, back in primary. It happened right after you left…" He pursed his lips. "I guess I just kept on thinking to myself, 'why did you have to go all those years ago?' 'Why couldn't you stay?' 'Why couldn't I go with you?' I guess… a little part of me blamed you for leaving, even though I knew it was because of what happened to your parents. There was nothing you could do."

Even as the world turned to the dank colour of the Dark Hour, and the glass of water on the table turned to blood upon receiving the moonlight's caress, Kishimaru continued. "I guess it was later that I started 'hating' you. And I started taking my anger out on others. So I became the very thing I hated." He smiled wryly at the thought.

"I still remember how you helped me from those jerks in primary… You stood up to them and even when you were ridiculed for that, you just smiled and asked if I was okay." He wasn't sure whether his lip was trembling from threat of tears or because he was trying to hide another smile. "You pushed me out of my comfort zone sometimes, but I became more confident. I didn't get pushed around anymore."

The looping film reel viewed between them spun onwards. The same memories. Same people. Different focuses. "I see. You looked for control. You found it in the others around you and in the Shadows you controlled. You use them. You control the lives of others. You decide whether they live or die." He stared into Kishimaru's jaded eyes. "Is that why you kidnapped and used her to threaten me into joining your group?"

"…Yeah. I know. It's stupid. I shouldn't have. I knew it was wrong," Kishimaru growled to himself. "I couldn't let myself be seen during the day because the other Shadow whisperers want me to be there. And I can't let myself get caught after all that I've done." His eyes cast down towards the glass and the blood within it. "And in the Dark Hour is when we do our jobs for Strega. The strange deaths that have been showing up around the region, that is."

Minato shook his head. "You can stop making excuses since you're admitting that what you did was wrong…" He sighed. "The group you're part of. They're murderers. Serial killers, basically."

Kishimaru grimaced and nodded. "They are."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're saying that… As if you're apart from them. Why?" Minato's hand reached towards the glass and put it to his lips, watching Kishimaru's expression morph into shock.

"T-That could be toxic—"

"Answer the question."

He snatched the glass and flung it onto the ground. "Minato, what the hell is this? This isn't you!"

"Do you really think I'm still the same after all this time? Answer the goddamn question, Fukawa!" As he stared into Minato's normally gunmetal eyes, he found the unnatural embrace of cyan emanating from his irises.

"The goddamned Shadow whisperers want to kill everyone! They _want_ the world to end! If they had even a chance to bring the fucking apocalypse, they would damn well do it!"

Minato grinned at the explosion of words, eyes alive with a grin of sour mirth. "But you don't?"

"Hell no…" Kishimaru muttered. And then, he laughed. A hollow laugh of pure amusement. "Look, I was _supposed_ to bring you to Strega… I can imagine what they're going to force you to do. If I could do anything to help you then—"

"Oh Kishimaru, Kishimaru… I think you're mistaking just who is in control here."

His eyes narrowed. "What's your plan?"

…

Yoko let out a yawn and rubbed her eyes. Yet another bout of dreamless sleep. As she stretched awake, made note of the beautiful, marigold moon and looked towards Hakori and Shina for what they were supposed to be doing, she heard something come below. She gasped, her gaze flitting about the room.

"Pitter patter! From downstairs!" she barked, and like a puppy, she skittered along the floor on all fours, ear to the ground.

Hakori sighed. "Okay, what the hell, Yoko I was just—Oh, oh, I hear it too." He stood and looked around the room. It was of course, barebones. As always. There couldn't possibly be any hiding places besides behind the couch or something like that, but even then, it really did seem that there was no trace of those Yamagishi and Kagami girls.

It sounded to Shina like the build-up to an electronic bass drop. Two pairs of footsteps panicking down the flights of stairs. "How the hell did they get out of the room? I didn't even see them…" she muttered to herself before putting down her things and rushing out of her room.

Hakori (begrudgingly) and Yoko followed after her. He paused at the door, scanning the room once more. He couldn't help but think that something was off about the whole situation, but as it was, he couldn't see any changes to the room.

That and if he didn't get going, he'd probably get a vulgar earful from Shina later on. Yoko took his arm and urged him down the stairs, practically dragging him by the wrist. It only gave him enough time to close the door behind him.

On the second look that Hakori gave the room, Fuuka almost swore her heart was going to leap out of her mouth. "T-They're gone… they're really gone," she murmured, as if afraid they'd still hear while communicating through her mind link.

"That is what we were banking on. You powers get amplified during the Dark Hour I suppose," Sachiko replied. "Let's go. Find Minato if you can, but I don't want to stick around long enough to encounter Strega or the Shadow whisperers again."

The two of them nodded to each other before going out through the door, careful not to make any sounds with their footsteps. Their silence was their only reassurance that they'd get out of there and hopefully be able to contact SEES.

It was likely one of the hugest gambles that Sachiko had taken in her life. The anticipation shook her with every step that she thought might make even the tiniest creak in the floorboards.

Down one flight and down the next. They'd heard some faint voices from above them. Fuuka told Sachiko, "I can sense Strega, Minato and I think Kishimaru there… The Shadow whisperers are scattered outside. I'll try tell you where they are if they're near."

"Sounds good…" Her hand grasped the handle of their door to freedom. The door to the next chase and what would be the next phase of their plan. Sachiko hesitated for a moment, listening to her own breath trying to brake. It was now or never.

The heavy stench of the Dark Hour crept past the slowly growing space of the doorframe, letting loose the familiar cold. She beckoned Fuuka out, the two of them now standing as if naked in the haunt of their enemies and any wayward Shadows.

She and Fuuka would only have to hope that this new manipulation of their abilities would get them through the next few harrowing minutes. After all, one of the _better_ case scenarios was that they'd just be captured again and they'd have to find another way out.

The worst case, however could not even be fathomed.

…

Armour status: 67 per cent. Artillery status: 96 per cent. Internal battery: 94 per cent. Movement capability: 85 per cent.

Damaged. Not ready for deployment.

System override.

First priority: Minato Arisato.

Second priority: Artillery.

Third priority: Movement.

Execute Project Harbour.

Subtle whirrs came from the damaged frame as she tiptoed through the metal corridors. Her bright eyes peered into the darkness, sensing no signs of life in the immediate vicinity. Nothing human. She'd had to knock out the scientists, but made sure only to injure them as necessary.

The small click clacks of her weaponry was steady; it was something that could only be attributed to her measured gait. Perhaps awakened by the awakening of another cold beast, this robot could make no compromises when it came to Minato Arisato.

She bolted down the corridor into the clasp of the Dark Hour.

…

There was no dissuading him.

Kishimaru pinched the bridge of his nose, almost afraid to see what kind of expression was smeared across Minato's face. "Y-You can't be serious. You could get yourself killed," he finally managed.

Of course, the smug bastard was smirking. He had the _gall_ to shrug, writing off every concern that he—no, everyone—had for him. Minato didn't want to understand why they cared. If he did, there wasn't a sign. Nothing mattered. His life was meaningless. Or so he'd asserted.

"Don't you understand? Minato, I've been wanting to be friends with you for a long time. I'm not saying that I don't trust you. I'm saying that I'm worried about you. Let me help you!

"I… I'm not like the others. I'm just angry and… Now I'm not… I just want to get to know you again."

Minato shook his head. "I'd like to say I'm sorry, but I'm not. I'm saying… I don't care. If this is an easy way to out, then… All the more reason."

He grabbed him by the shoulders. "This isn't you!"

"What do you know about me!?"

The strength in Kishimaru's grip withered away, finally, regretfully, letting go of his friend.

* * *

**Edited: 05/04/16**

**AN: 'sup. I fixed the chapter. Yesssss. I think it's much better now!**

**Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


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